,transcriber's note3    ,text enclosed  
by underscores is in italics 7italics74 
,text enclosed by  is in bold 7bold74   
,small capital text has been replaced   
with all capitals4    ,variations in    
spelling1 punctuation and hyphenation   
have been retained  except in obvious   
cases of typographical error4    ,page  
vi4 ,the transcriber has changed the    
page number in the table of  contents   
for ,,lecture ,,viii1 ,,article #d from 
#afj to #afd to match the  actual       
beginning page of the section4    ,page 
#ea3 ,the close quote mark has been     
added3 sacrificed by being laid  in the 
heated arms and burned4    ,page #bcd3  
,the open quote mark has been added3 by 
the authority of  ,beelzebub the prince 
of devils4#gbg    ,page #bde3 ,then1 a  
century later1 ,malachi1#gdg the last of
 the  prophets--,a footnote anchor was  
missing and has been inserted by the    
transcriber4    ,page #cjf3 #g4 follows 
#e4 ,mexican ,tradition concerning the  
,savior4 ,the  book has no number #f4   

99       99       99       99       99  
,illustration3 coverpage                
,illustration3 titlepage      ,,the     
,,articles ,,of ,,faith      ,a ,,series
 ,,of ,,lectures ,,on ,,the             
,,principal ,,doctrines ,,of      ,,the 
,,church ,,of ,,jesus ,,christ ,,of     
,,latter-,,day ,,saints      ,,by       
,,james ,e4 ,,talmage1    ,one of the   
,twelve ,apostles of the ,church        
,,prepared ,,by ,,appointment1 ,,and    
,,published ,,by ,,the ,,church         
,eleventh ,edition in ,english          
,,including ,,the ,,fifty-,,second      
,,thousand      ,,the ,,deseret ,,news1 
,,salt ,,lake ,,city1 ,,utah4    #aiai  
,,entered ,,according ,,to ,,act ,,of   
,,congress    ,,in ,,the ,,year #ahij1  
,,by ,,james ,e4 ,,talmage1    ,,in     
,,the ,,office ,,of ,,the ,,librarian   
,,of    ,,congress1 ,,at ,,washington4  
,,copyright #aiac    ,,by ,,joseph ,f4  
,,smith    ,,trustee-,,in-,,trust ,,for 
,,the ,,church ,,of    ,,jesus ,,christ 
,,of ,,latter-,,day ,,saints4           

,,preface ,,to ,,first ,,edition4       
,the lectures herewith presented have   
been prepared in accordance with  the   
request and appointment of the ,first   
,presidency of the ,church4 ,the        
greater number of the addresses were    
delivered before the ,theology  ,class  
of the ,church ,university2 and1 after  
the close of the class  sessions1 the   
lectures were continued before other    
,church  organizations engaged in the   
study of theology4 ,to meet the desire  
expressed by the ,church                
authorities1--that the lectures be      
published  for use in the various       
educational institutions of the         
,church1--the  matter has been revised1 
and is now presented in this form4      
,in anticipation of probable question or
 criticism regarding the  disparity of  
length of the several lectures1 it may  
be stated that  each of the addresses   
occupied two or more class sessions1 and
 that  the present arrangement of the   
matter in separate lectures is rather   

one of compilation than of original     
presentation4    ,the author's thanks   
are due and are heartily rendered to the
 members  of the committee appointed by 
the ,first ,presidency1 whose           
painstaking  and efficient examination  
of the manuscript prior to the delivery 
of  the lectures1 has inspired some     
approach to confidence in the           
prospective value of the book among     
members of the ,church4 ,the  committee 
here referred to consisted of ,elders   
,francis ,m4 ,lyman1  ,abraham ,h4      
,cannon1 and ,anthon ,h4 ,lund1 of the  
,quorum of the ,twelve  ,apostles2      
,elder ,george ,reynolds1 one of the    
,presidents of the  ,presiding ,quorum  
of ,seventy2 ,elder ,john ,nicholson1   
and ,dr4 ,karl ,g4  ,maeser4    ,the    
lectures are now published by the       
,church1 and with them goes the  hope of
 the author that they may prove of some 
service to the many  students of the    
scriptures among our people1 and to     
other earnest  inquirers into the       

doctrines and practices of the ,church  
of ,jesus  ,christ of ,latter-day       
,saints4      ,,james ,e4 ,,talmage4    
,salt ,lake ,city1 ,utah1 ,april #c1    
#ahii4      ,,preface ,,to ,,the ,,tenth
 ,,edition4    ,this issue of ,the      
,articles of ,faith presents some       
departures from  the earlier imprints in
 wording1 in the substitution of several
  rewritten paragraphs1 and in the      
introduction of numerous additions to   
the notes and references4 ,this entire  
edition is printed on ,india  paper4    
,since the issuance of the last         
preceding edition1 translations  of the 
work have been published in ,dutch and  
,japanese4      ,,james ,e4 ,,talmage4  
,salt ,lake ,city1 ,utah1 ,february1    
#aiag4      ,,publishers' ,,note ,,to   
,,eleventh ,,edition    ,this edition of
 ,dr4 ,james ,e4 ,talmage's valuable    
work ,the ,articles of  ,faith is       
printed from the electrotype plates used
 for the last  preceding edition1 which 
was the first ,india paper issue4       

,salt ,lake ,city ,utah1 ,october1      
#aiai4          ,,contents4             
,,lecture ,i4      ,introductory4       
,importance of theological study4--,what
 is ,theology8--,extent      of the     
,science4--,theology and                
religion4--,origin of the      ,articles
 of ,faith4--,standard works of the     
,church4--,joseph      ,smith1 the      
,prophet4--,his parentage and           
youth4--,his search      for truth and  
the result4--,first vision4--,angelic   
visitations4--,later developments1 the  
martyrdom4--      ,authenticity of his  
mission                                 
#a-bf        ,,lecture ,,ii1 ,,article  
#a4      ,god and the ,godhead4         
,the existence of ,god4--,attested by   
general assent of                       
humanity4--,evidence of history and     
tradition4--,evidence      supplied by  
human reason4--,evidence of direct      
revelation4--,the ,godhead1 a           
,trinity4--,unity of the                
,godhead4--,unauthorized dogmas         

refuted4--,personality of      each     
member of the ,godhead4--,some of the   
,divine      attributes4--,idolatry and 
atheism4--,immaterialism a      variety 
of atheism4--,god in nature             
#bg-ec        ,,lecture ,,iii1 ,,article
 #b4      ,transgression and the ,fall4 
,man's free agency recognized by the    
,lord4--,man's                          
responsibility4--,sin4--,sins committed 
in ignorance4--      ,punishment for sin
 natural and necessary4--,duration of   
punishment4--,refutation of the false   
doctrine of unending                    
torment4--,satan1 his former position   
and his fall4--,our      first parents  
in ,eden4--,the temptation and the      
,fall4--,adam's      wise choice4--,the 
expulsion from the ,garden4--,the ,tree 
of      ,life guarded4--,results of the 
,fall4--,the ,fall fore-ordained        
and essential4--,the blessed heritage of
 mortality            #ed-ge            
,,lecture ,,iv1 ,,article #c4      ,the 
,atonement1 and ,salvation4      ,nature

 of the                                 
,atonement4--,reconciliation4--,a       
vicarious      sacrifice4--,voluntary   
and love-inspired4--,the atonement      
fore-ordained and fore-told4--,extent of
 the atonement4--      ,general         
salvation4--,individual                 
salvation4--,salvation and              
exaltation4--,degrees of                
glory4--,celestial1 ,terrestrial1       
and ,telestial kingdoms                 
#gf-ig        ,,lecture ,v1 ,,article   
#d4      ,faith and ,repentance4        
,nature of faith4--,faith1 belief1 and  
knowledge compared4--      ,belief among
 the devils4--,the foundation of        
faith4--,faith a      principle of      
power4--,a condition of living          
faith4--,faith      essential to        
salvation4--,a gift from ,god4--,faith  
and      works4--,nature of             
repentance4--,conditions for securing   
forgiveness4--,repentance essential to  
salvation4--,repentance      a gift from
 ,god4--,not always possible to         

repent4--,perils      of procrastinating
 the day of repentance4--,repentance    
beyond the grave4                       
#ih-aba        ,,lecture ,,vi1 ,,article
 #d4      ,baptism4      ,nature of the 
ordinance4--,its establishment4--,the   
baptism of      ,adam4--,the special    
purpose of baptism4--,fit candidates4-- 
,infant ,baptism4--,history of this     
erratic practice4--      ,pedo-baptism  
unsupported by the ,bible1 and forbidden
 by      other scriptures4--,baptism    
essential to salvation4--,the           
baptism of ,christ4--,to fulfil all     
righteousness          #abb-ach         
,,lecture ,,vii1 ,,article #d4          
,baptism4--,continued4      ,importance 
of proper method in administering the   
ordinance4--      ,derivation of the    
word baptize1 and early usage of the    
original4--,immersion the only true     
mode4--,the sacred      symbolism of the
 rite is preserved in no other mode4--  
,immersion the only mode practised in   
early days4--,baptism      by immersion 

among the ,nephites4--,modern baptism4--
      ,re-baptism not a distinct        
ordinance4--,re-baptisms      recorded  
in scripture are few and                
exceptional4--,baptism for      the     
dead4--,christ's ministry among the     
departed4--,the      spirits in         
prison4--,vicarious work of the living  
for the      dead4--,elijah's heavenly  
message4--,temples1 ancient and         
modern                                  
#aci-afa        ,,lecture ,,viii1       
,,article #d4      ,the ,holy ,ghost4   
,the promised ,comforter4--,the ,holy   
,ghost a ,member of the                 
,godhead4--,his distinct                
personality4--,his powers4--,his        
office in ministering to mankind4--,to  
whom given4--      ,exceptional         
instances of ,his visitation before     
baptism4--      ,the ordinance of       
bestowal4--,power of the priesthood     
requisite4--,gifts of the               
,spirit4--,laying on of hands           
characteristic of sacred ordinances     

#afb-agd        ,,lecture ,,ix1 ,,in    
,,connection ,,with ,,article #d4       
,the ,sacrament of the ,lord's ,supper4 
,meaning of the term ,sacrament4--,the  
,lord's ,supper4--      ,institution of 
the ordinance among the ,jews4--,also   
among the ,nephites4--,fit partakers of 
the sacrament4--      ,purpose of the   
ordinance1 and associated promises4--   
,the sacramental emblems4--,manner of   
administration4--      ,the ,passover   
and the ,sacrament4--,errors concerning 
the      ,sacrament                     
#age-ahc        ,,lecture ,x1 ,,article 
#e4      ,authority in the ,ministry4   
,men called of ,god4--,scriptural       
examples4--,ordination to the           
ministry4--,the authorized imposition of
 hands4--,sacrilege      of attempted   
ministrations without                   
authority4--,instances      of ,divine  
wrath4--,teachers1 true and             
false4--,divine      authority in the   
present dispensation4--,restoration of  
the      ,aaronic ,priesthood by ,john  

the ,baptist4--,and of the              
,melchizedek ,priesthood by ,peter1     
,james1 and ,john4--                    
,fore-ordination of men to special      
callings4--,christ's                    
fore-ordination4--,pre-existence of     
spirits4--,our primeval      childhood  
#ahd-bjj        ,,lecture ,,xi1         
,,article #f4      ,the ,church and its 
,plan of ,organization4      ,the       
,church ,in former and latter           
days4--,the ,primitive                  
,church4--,apostasy from the ,primitive 
,church4--,the great      apostasy was  
foretold4--,restoration of the ,church  
in      the dispensation of the ,fulness
 of ,times4--,plan of      ,government  
in the restored ,church4--,orders and   
offices in      the priesthood4--,the   
,aaronic1 including the                 
,levitical4--,the      ,melchizedek     
order4--,specific offices in the        
priesthood4--      ,deacons1 ,teachers1 
,priests4--,elders1 ,seventies1 ,high   
,priests4--,patriarchs1 or              

,evangelists4--,apostles4--,the         
,first ,presidency4--,the ,twelve       
,apostles4--,the ,presiding      ,quorum
 of ,seventy4--,the ,presiding          
,bishopric4--,local      organizations1 
,stakes and ,wards4--,stake             
,presidency4--,high                     
,council4--,ward ,bishopric4--,helps in 
,government             #bja-bah        
,,lecture ,,xii1 ,,article #g4          
,spiritual ,gifts4      ,spiritual gifts
 characteristic of the ,church4--,nature
      of these                          
gifts4--,miracles4--,partial enumeration
 of      the gifts4--,tongues and       
,interpretation4--,healing4--           
,visions and                            
,dreams4--,prophecy4--,revelation4--,the
      testimony of miracles not an      
infallible guide4--      ,imitations of 
spiritual gifts4--,miracles wrought by  
evil powers4--,devils working           
miracles4--,spiritual      gifts to-day 
#bai-bci        ,,lecture ,,xiii1       
,,article #h4      ,the ,bible4         

,the first of our standard works4--,the 
name ,bible4--,the      ,old            
,testament4--,its origin and            
growth4--,language of the      ,old     
,testament4--,the                       
,septuagint4--,pentateuch4--,historical 
books4--,poetical books4--,books of the 
prophets4--      ,apocrypha4--,the ,new 
,testament4--,its origin and            
authenticity4--,classification of its   
books4--,early      versions of the     
,bible4--,modern versions4--,genuineness
      and authenticity4--,book of       
,mormon testimony concerning      ,bible
                                        
#bdj-bfj        ,,lecture ,,xiv1        
,,article #h4      ,the ,book of        
,mormon4      ,description and          
origin4--,moroni's visit to ,joseph     
,smith4--      ,the inspired            
title-page4--,the ,nephite nation4--,the
      ,jaredites4--,the ancient         
plates4--,mormon's abridgment of        
the plates of ,nephi4--,the translation 
of the record4--      ,classification   

and arrangement of the                  
books4--,genuineness      of the ,book  
of ,mormon4--,testimony of the          
witnesses4--      ,theories of its      
origin4--,the ,spaulding ,story         
#bfa-bhj        ,,lecture ,,xv1         
,,article #h4      ,the ,book of        
,mormon4--,continued4      ,authenticity
 of the ,book of ,mormon4--,the ,book of
 ,mormon and      the ,bible4--,ancient 
prophecy fulfilled in the coming forth  
of the ,book of ,mormon4--,consistency  
of the book4--,its      contained       
prophecies4--,external                  
evidence4--,archeological      evidence 
of the early occupation of              
,america4--,israelitish      origin of  
the ,american aborigines4--,common      
origin of all      the native           
races4--,language of the ,book of       
,mormon      compared with the language 
of the ancient ,americans4--            
,survival of the ,egyptian and the      
,hebrew4--,testimony of                 
investigators                           

#bha-cjg        ,,lecture ,,xvi1        
,,article #i4      ,revelation1 past1   
present1 and future4      ,what is      
revelation8--,revelation and            
inspiration4--,god's    means of        
communication4--,ancient                
revelators4--,christ1 a                 
,revelator4--,doctrine of continual     
revelation4--    ,well-established1     
scriptural1 and reasonable4--,alleged   
scriptural objections met and           
answered4--,modern                      
revelation4--,without revelation there  
can be no true    ,church4--,revelation 
yet awaited                             
#cjh-cbe        ,,lecture ,,xvii1       
,,article #aj4      ,the ,dispersion of 
,israel4      ,israel4--,brief ,history 
of the nation4--,dispersion             
fore-told4--,biblical prophecies4--,book
 of ,mormon                             
predictions4--,fulfillment of these dire
 prophecies4--    ,fate of the kingdom  
of ,israel4--,scattering of ,judah4--   
,the lost ,tribes                       

#cbf-cdj        ,,lecture ,,xviii1      
,,article #aj4      ,the ,gathering of  
,israel4      ,predictions of the       
gathering4--,prophecies in ,bible and   
,book of ,mormon4--,modern revelation   
concerning the    gathering4--,extent   
and purpose of the gathering4--,israel  
a chosen people4--,all nations blessed  
through ,israel4--    ,restoration of   
the ,ten ,tribes4--,zion to be first    
established4--,gathering now in progress
                      #cda-cee          
,,lecture ,,xix1 ,,article #aj4         
,zion4      ,two gathering places       
designated4--,jerusalem and the ,new    
,jerusalem4--,meaning of ,zion4--,the   
,zion of ,enoch4--,the      ,lord's     
definition of ,zion4--,modern revelation
 concerning      ,zion4--,establishment 
delayed4--,center-place in ,missouri4-- 
,the founding of ,zion in the last days 
#cef-cff        ,,lecture ,,xx1         
,,article #aj4      ,christ's ,reign on 
,earth4      ,christ's first and second 
advents compared4--,predictions of      

,his second coming4--,signs             
described4--,modern revelation on       
the matter4--,precise time not          
known4--,christ's reign4--,the          
,kingdom of ,god4--,the ,kingdom of     
,heaven4--,kingdom and                  
,churh4--,millennium4--,satan's power to
 be curtailed         #cfg-chc          
,,lecture ,,xxi1 ,,article #aj4         
,regeneration and ,resurrection4        
,the earth under the                    
curse4--,regeneration of the            
earth4--,the      earth during and after
 the ,millennium4--,absence of evidence 
from science4--,resurrection of the     
body4--,predictions4--,two      general 
resurrections1 first and                
final4--,resurrection of the            
just4--,and that of the                 
unjust4--,christ's resurrection and     
that immediately                        
following4--,resurrection at ,christ's  
second      coming4--,the heathen in the
 first resurrection4--,resurrection     
after ,millennium                       

#chd-dje        ,,lecture ,,xxii1       
,,article #aa4      ,religious ,liberty 
and ,toleration4      ,what is          
worship8--,freedom in worship an        
inalienable      right4--,religious     
intolerance sinful4--,toleration        
does not imply acceptance4--,man's      
accountability4--      ,results of his  
acts4--,degrees of glory provided4--    
,the ,celestial glory4--,the            
,terrestrial4--,the ,telestial4--       
,gradation within the ,kingdoms4--,the  
,sons of ,perdition      #djf-dbc       
,,lecture ,,xxiii1 ,,article #ab4       
,submission to ,secular ,authority4     
,scriptural recognition of secular      
powers4--,examples set by      ,christ  
and ,his apostles4--,apostolic          
teachings4--,modern      revelation     
regarding duty to laws of the           
land4--,people      of ,god are of      
necessity law abiding4--,teachings of   
the      ,church to-day                 
#dbd-ddj        ,,lecture ,,xxiv1       
,,article #ac4      ,practical          

,religion4      ,religion has to do with
 daily life4--,comprehensiveness of     
our faith4--,benevolence                
enjoined4--,free-will offerings4--      
,fast-offerings4--,tithing4--,consecrati
on and stewardship4--      ,the ,united 
,order4--,social order within the       
,church4--      ,marriage4--,celestial  
marriage4--,unlawful association of     
the sexes4--,the sanctity of the body   
#dda-dfa      ,,appendix3 ,outline for  
class review of the ,lectures           
#dfc-dgg      ,,index                   
#dgi-dhe          ,,the ,,articles ,,of 
,,faith    ,,of ,,the ,,church ,,of     
,,jesus ,,christ ,,of ,,latter-,,day    
,,saints4      #a4 ,we believe in ,god1 
the ,eternal ,father1 and in ,his ,son1 
,jesus  ,christ1 and in the ,holy       
,ghost4    #b4 ,we believe that men will
 be punished for their own sins1 and not
  for ,adam's transgression4    #c4 ,we 
believe that through the atonement of   
,christ1 all mankind may be  saved1 by  
obedience to the laws and ordinances of 

the ,gospel4    #d4 ,we believe that the
 first principles and ordinances of the 
,gospel  are3--7#a7 ,faith in the ,lord 
,jesus ,christ2 7#b7 ,repentance2 7#c7  
,baptism  by immersion for the remission
 of sins2 7#d7 ,laying on of ,hands for 
the  ,gift of the ,holy ,ghost4    #e4  
,we believe that a man must be called of
 ,god1 by prophecy1 and by  the laying  
on of hands1 by those who are in        
authority1 to preach the  ,gospel and   
administer in the ordinances thereof4   
#f4 ,we believe in the same organization
 that existed in the ,primitive         
,church1 viz43 apostles1 prophets1      
pastors1 teachers1 evangelists1 etc4    
#g4 ,we believe in the gift of tongues1 
prophecy1 revelation1 visions1  healing1
 interpretation of tongues1 etc4    #h4 
,we believe the ,bible to be the word of
 ,god1 as far as it is  translated      
correctly2 ,we also believe the ,book of
 ,mormon to be the  word of ,god4    #i4
 ,we believe all that ,god has revealed1
 all that ,he does now reveal1  and we  

believe that ,he will yet reveal many   
great and important things  pertaining  
to the ,kingdom of ,god4    #aj4 ,we    
believe in the literal gathering of     
,israel and in the  restoration of the  
,ten ,tribes2 that ,zion will be built  
upon this the  ,american continent2     
,that ,christ will reign personally upon
 the earth2  and1 ,that the earth will  
be renewed and receive its paradisiacal 
glory4    #aa4 ,we claim the privilege  
of worshiping ,almighty ,god according  
to the  dictates of our own conscience1 
and allow all men the same privilege1   
let them worship how1 where or what they
 may4    #ab4 ,we believe in being      
subject to kings1 presidents1 rulers1   
and  magistrates1 in obeying1 honoring1 
and sustaining the law4    #ac4 ,we     
believe in being honest1 true1 chaste1  
benevolent1 virtuous1  and in doing good
 to all men2 indeed1 we may say that we 
follow the  admonition of ,paul4 ,we    
believe all things1 we hope all things1 
we have  endured many things1 and hope  

to be able to endure all things4 ,if    
there is anything virtuous1 lovely1 or  
of good report or praiseworthy1  we seek
 after these things4--,joseph ,smith4   
,,lectures    ,,on    ,,the ,,articles  
,,of ,,faith    ,,of ,,the ,,church ,,of
 ,,jesus ,,christ ,,of ,,latter-,,day   
,,saints4          ,,lecture ,i4        
,,introductory4      #a4 ,importance of 
,theological ,study4--,in the short     
period of time  that measures the span  
of mortal existence1 it is not possible 
for man  to explore any considerable    
portion of the vast realm of knowledge2 
it  becomes1 therefore1 the part of     
wisdom to select for study the  branches
 that promise to prove of the greatest  
worth4 ,all truth is of  value--above   
price indeed in its place2 yet with     
respect to their  possible application1 
some truths are of incomparably greater 
worth  than are others4 ,a knowledge of 
the principles of trade is essential  to
 the success of the merchant2 an        
acquaintance with the laws of           

navigation is demanded of the mariner2  
familiarity with the relation  of soil  
and crops is indispensable to the       
farmer2 an understanding of  the        
profound principles of mathematics is   
necessary to the engineer  and the      
astronomer2 so too is a practical       
knowledge of ,god essential  to the     
salvation of every human soul that has  
attained to powers of  judgment and     
discretion4 ,the value of theological   
knowledge1  therefore1 ought not to be  
under-rated2 it is doubtful if its      
importance can in any way be            
over-estimated4    #b4 ,what is         
,theology8--,the word theology is of    
,greek origin2 it  comes to us from     
,theos1 meaning ,god1 and logos--a      
treatise1 or  discourse1 signifying by  
derivation1 therefore1 collated         
knowledge of  ,divinity1 or the science 
that teaches us of ,god1 implying also  
the  relation existing between the      
,supreme ,being and ,his creatures4 ,the
  term is of very ancient usage1 and may

 be traced to pagan sources4  ,plato and
 ,aristotle speak of theology as the    
doctrine of ,deity and  divine things4  
,concisely defined1 theology is that    
revealed science  which treats of the   
being and attributes of ,god1 ,his      
relations to us1  the dispensations of  
,his providence1 ,his will with respect 
to our  actions1 and ,his purposes with 
respect to our end4#a      #a ,see ,doc4
  ,cov4 supplement to ,lecture ,i on    
,faith2 ,buck's    ,theological         
,dictionary1 p4 #ehb4    #c4 ,it has    
been held by some as a truth1 that      
theological knowledge  is not properly a
 subject for analytical and otherwise   
scientific  treatment on the part of    
man2 that inasmuch as a true conception 
of  ,deity1 with which theology has     
primarily to deal1 must necessarily be  
based upon revelation from the source   
divine1 we can but receive such         
knowledge as it is graciously given2 and
 that to attempt critical  investigation
 thereof by the fallible powers of human

 judgment would  be to apply as a       
measure of the doings of ,god the       
utterly inadequate  wisdom of man4 ,many
 truths are beyond the scope of unaided 
human  reason1 and theological facts    
have been declared to be above reason2  
this is true so far as the same remark  
might be applied to any other  kind of  
truth2 for all truth1 being eternal1 is 
superior to reason in  the sense of     
being manifest to reason1 but not a     
creation of reason2  nevertheless truths
 are to be estimated and compared by the
 exercise  of reason4    #d4 ,the       
,extent of ,theology4--,who can survey  
the boundaries of this  science8 ,it    
deals with ,deity--the fountain of      
knowledge1 the source of  wisdom2 with  
the proofs of the existence of a        
,supreme ,being1 and of  other          
supernatural personalities2 with the    
conditions under which1 and  the means  
by which1 divine revelation is imparted2
 with the eternal  principles governing 
the creation of worlds2 with the laws of

 nature  in all their varied            
manifestations4 ,primarily1 theology is 
the science  of ,god and religion2 it   
seeks to present the systematic         
exhibition of  revealed truth1 the      
science of ,christian faith and life4   
,but in a  more general sense1 theology 
has to do with other truths than those  
which are specifically called spiritual2
 its domain is co-extensive  with that  
of truth4    #e4 ,the industrial        
pursuits that benefit mankind1 the arts 
that  please and refine1 the sciences   
that enlarge and exalt the mind1 are    
but fragments of the great though yet   
uncompleted volume of truth that  has   
come to earth from a source of eternal  
and infinite supply4 ,the  comprehensive
 study of theology1 therefore1 would    
embrace all known  truths4 ,god has     
constituted ,himself as the great       
teacher2#b by  personal manifestations  
or through the ministrations of ,his    
appointed  servants1 ,he instructs ,his 
mortal children4 ,to ,adam ,he          

introduced the  art of agriculture1#c   
and even taught by example that of      
tailoring2#d to ,noah and ,nephi ,he    
gave instructions in ship  building2#e  
,lehi and ,nephi were taught of ,him in 
the arts of  navigation2#f and for their
 guidance on the water1 as in their     
journeyings on land1 ,he prepared for   
them the ,liahona4#g a compass  operated
 by a force more effective than that of 
terrestrial  magnetism2 furthermore1    
,moses received divine instructions in  
architecture4#h      #b ,see ,key to    
,theology1 by ,parley ,p4 ,pratt1 chap4 
i4      #c ,gen4 ii1 #h2 ,pearl of      
,great ,price3 ,moses iii1 #ae4      #d 
,gen4 iii1 #ba2 ,pearl of ,great ,price3
 ,moses iv1 #bg4      #e ,gen4 vi1 #ad3 
,i ,nephi xvii1 #h2 xviii1 #a-d4      #f
 ,i ,nephi xviii1 #ab1 #ba4      #g ,i  
,nephi xvi1 #aj1 #af1 #bf-cj2 xviii1    
#ab1 #ba2 ,alma xxxvii1 #ch4      #h    
,exo4 xxv1 xxvi1 xxvii4    #f4 ,theology
 and ,religion1 though closely related1 
are by no means  identical4 ,a person   

may be deeply versed in theological     
lore1 and yet  be lacking in religious1 
and even in moral traits4 ,theology may 
be  compared to theory1 while religion  
represents practice2 if theology be     
precept1 then religion is example4 ,each
 should be the complement of  the other2
 theological knowledge should strengthen
 religious faith and  practice4 ,as     
accepted by the ,latter-day ,saints1    
theology comprehends  the whole plan of 
the gospel4 ,theology is ordered        
knowledge1  representing in the region  
of the intellect what religion          
represents  in the heart and life of    
man4#i ,knowledge may have to do with   
the  intellect only1 and however sublime
 its import1 it may fail to affect  the 
hardened heart4      #i ,w4 ,e4         
,gladstone4    #g4 ,the ,articles of    
,faith4--,the beliefs and prescribed    
practices of  most religious sects are  
usually set forth in formal creeds4 ,the
  ,latter-day ,saints announce no creed 
as a complete code of their faith2  for 

while they hold that the precepts of    
eternal life are  unchangeable1 they    
accept the principle of continuous      
revelation as a  characteristic feature 
of their belief4 ,however1 when asked   
for a  concise presentation of the      
principal religious views of his people1
  ,joseph ,smith1 the first prophet of  
the ,church in the present              
dispensation1 announced as a declaration
 of belief the ,articles of  ,faith of  
the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of        
,latter-day ,saints4 ,these  include the
 more essential and characteristic      
features of the gospel  as accepted by  
this ,church2 but they are not complete 
as an exposition  of our belief1 for by 
one of the ,articles it is declared1 ,we
 believe  all that ,god has revealed1   
all that ,he does now reveal1 and we    
believe that ,he will yet reveal many   
great and important things  pertaining  
to the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,from the time 
of their first  promulgation1 the       
,articles of ,faith have been accepted  

by the  people1#aj and on ,october #f1  
#ahij1 the ,latter-day ,saints1 in      
general  conference assembled1          
re-adopted the ,articles as part of     
their guide  in faith and conduct4 ,as  
these ,articles of ,faith present the   
leading  tenets of the ,church in       
systematic order1 they suggest          
themselves as a  convenient outline for 
our plan of study4      #aj ,see ,note  
#a4    #h4 ,the ,standard ,works of the 
,church form our written authority in   
doctrine2 but they are by no means our  
only sources of information and         
instruction on the theology of the      
,church4 ,we believe that ,god is as    
willing to-day as ,he ever has been to  
reveal ,his mind and will to man1  and  
that ,he does so through chosen and     
appointed channels4 ,we rely  therefore 
on the teachings of the living oracles  
of ,god as of equal  validity with the  
doctrines of the written word1 the men  
in chief  authority being acknowledged  
and accepted by the ,church as prophets 

and revelators1 and as being in         
possession of the power of the holy     
,priesthood4 ,the written works adopted 
by the vote of the ,church as           
authoritative guides in faith and       
doctrine are four1--the ,bible1 the     
,book of ,mormon1 the ,doctrine and     
,covenants1 and the ,pearl of ,great    
,price4 ,other works have been and are  
being issued by officers and  members of
 the ,church1 and many such books are   
unreservedly sanctioned  by the people  
and their ecclesiastical authorities2   
but the four  publications named are the
 only regularly constituted standard    
works  of the ,church4 ,of the doctrine 
treated in the authorized standards1    
the ,articles of ,faith may be regarded 
as a fair1 though necessarily  but an   
incomplete epitome4      ,,joseph       
,,smith1 ,,the ,,prophet4    #i4 ,joseph
 ,smith1 whose name is appended to the  
,articles of ,faith1  was the prophet   
through whom the ,lord restored to earth
 in these the  last days the ,gospel1   

and this in accordance with predictions 
made in  previous dispensations4 ,the   
question of the divine authenticity of  
this man's mission is an all-important  
one to earnest investigators of         
,latter-day ,saint doctrines4 ,if his   
claims to a ,god-given appointment  be  
false1 forming1 as they do1 the         
foundation of the ,church in the  last  
dispensation1 the superstructure cannot 
be stable2 if1 however1  his purported  
ordination under the hands of heavenly  
personages be a  fact1 one need search  
no further for the cause of the         
phenomenal  strength and growing power  
of the restored ,church4 ,the           
circumstances  of the divine dealings   
with ,joseph ,smith1 the marvelous      
development of  the work instituted by  
this modern prophet1 the fulfilment     
through his  instrumentality of many of 
the grandest predictions of old1 and his
  own prophetic utterances with their   
literal realizations1 will yet be       
widely acknowledged as proof conclusive 

of the validity of his  ministry4#aa    
,the exalted claims maintained for him  
and his life's  work1 the fame that has 
made his name known for good or evil    
among  most of the civilized nations of 
the earth1 the vitality and growing     
strength of the religious and social    
systems which owe their origin as       
nineteenth-century establishments to the
 ministrations of this man1  give to him
 an individual importance warranting at 
least a passing  consideration4      #aa
 ,see ,note #c4    #aj4 ,his ,parentage 
and ,youth4--,joseph ,smith1 the third  
son and fourth  child in a family of    
ten1 was born ,december #bc;d1 #ahje1 at
 ,sharon1  ,windsor ,county1 ,vermont4  
,he was the son of ,joseph and ,lucy    
,mack  ,smith--a worthy couple1 who     
though in poverty lived happily amid    
their home scenes of industry and       
frugality4 ,when the boy1 ,joseph1 was  
ten years old1 the family left ,vermont 
and settled in the ,state of ,new       
,york1 first at ,palmyra1 and later at  

,manchester1 ,ontario ,county4 ,at  the 
place last named1 the future prophet    
spent most of his boyhood  days4 ,in    
common with his brothers and sisters1 he
 had but little  schooling2 and for the 
simple rudiments of an education1 which 
by  earnest application he was able to  
gain1 he was mostly indebted to his     
parents1 who followed the rule of       
devoting a portion of their limited     
leisure to the teaching of the younger  
members of the household4    #aa4 ,in   
their religious inclinations1 the family
 favored the  ,presbyterian church1 the 
mother and three or four of the children
  having united themselves with that    
sect2 but ,joseph1 while at one time    
favorably impressed by the ,methodist   
creed1 kept himself free from all       
sectarian membership1 being greatly     
perplexed over the strife and           
dissensions manifesting themselves among
 the churches of the time4 ,he  had a   
right to expect that in the ,church of  
,christ there would be  unity and       

harmony2 yet in place of such he saw    
among the wrangling  sects only         
confusion4 ,when ,joseph was in his     
fifteenth year1 the  region of his home 
was visited by a storm of fierce        
religious  excitement1 which1 beginning 
with the ,methodists1 soon became       
general  among all the sects2 there were
 revivals and protracted meetings1 and  
the manifestations of sectarian rivalry 
were many and varied4 ,these  conditions
 added much to the distress of the young
 searcher after  truth4    #ab4 ,his    
,search for ,truth and the              
,result4--,here is ,joseph's own        
account of his course of action3--      
,in the midst of this war of words and  
tumult of opinions1 ,i       often said 
to myself1 what is to be done8 who of   
all these       parties are right8 or1  
are they all wrong together8 ,if any one
       of them be right1 which is it1   
and how shall ,i know it8         ,while
 ,i was laboring under the extreme      
difficulties caused by       the        

contests of these parties of            
religionists1 ,i was one day            
reading the ,epistle of ,james1 first   
chapter and fifth verse1       which    
reads1 ',if any of you lack wisdom1 let 
him ask of ,god1       that giveth to   
all men liberally1 and upbraideth not1  
and it       shall be given him4'#ab    
,never did any passage of scripture come
       with more power to the heart of  
man than did this at this time to       
mine4 ,it seemed to enter with great    
force into every feeling of       my    
heart4 ,i reflected on it again and     
again1 knowing that if any       person 
needed wisdom from ,god1 ,i did2 for how
 to act ,i did not       know1 and      
unless ,i could get more wisdom than ,i 
then had1 would       never know1 for   
the teachers of religion of the         
different sects       understood the    
same passage so differently as to       
destroy all       confidence in settling
 the question by an appeal to the       
,bible4 ,at       length ,i came to the 

conclusion that ,i must either remain in
       darkness and confusion1 or else  
,i must do as ,james directs1 that      
is1 ask of ,god4 ,i at length came to   
the determination to ask of       ,god1 
concluding that if ,he gave wisdom to   
them that lacked       wisdom1 and would
 give liberally and not upbraid1 ,i     
might       venture4 ,so1 in accordance 
with this my determination to ask of    
,god1 ,i retired to the woods to make   
the attempt4 ,it was on the             
morning of a beautiful clear day1 early 
in the spring of #ahbj4 ,it       was   
the first time in my life that ,i had   
made such an attempt1       for amidst  
all my anxieties ,i had never as yet    
made the attempt       to pray vocally4 
#ab ,james i1 #e4    ,after ,i had      
retired to the place where ,i had       
previously designed to  go1 having      
looked around me and finding myself     
alone1 ,i kneeled down  and began to    
offer up the desires of my heart to     
,god4 ,i had scarcely  done so1 when    

immediately ,i was seized upon by some  
power which  entirely overcame me1 and  
had such astonishing influence over me  
as to  bind my tongue so that ,i could  
not speak4 ,thick darkness gathered     
around me1 and it seemed to me1 for a   
time1 as if ,i were doomed to  sudden   
destruction4 ,but1 exerting all my      
powers to call upon ,god to  deliver me 
out of the power of this enemy which had
 seized upon me1  and at the very moment
 when ,i was ready to sink into despair 
and  abandon myself to destruction1 not 
to an imaginary ruin1 but to the  power 
of some actual being from the unseen    
world1 who had such a  marvelous power  
as ,i had never before felt in any      
being2 just at this  moment of great    
alarm1 ,i saw a pillar of light exactly 
above my head1  above the brightness of 
the sun1 which descended gradually until
 it  fell upon me4 ,it no sooner        
appeared than ,i found myself delivered 
from  the enemy which held me bound4    
,when the light rested upon me1 ,i saw  

two personages1 whose brightness and    
glory defy all description1  standing   
above me in the air4 ,one of them spake 
unto me calling me by  name1 and said   
7pointing to the other71 ',this is my   
beloved ,son1 hear  ,him4'#ac      #ac  
,pearl of ,great ,price3 ,extr4 ,hist4  
of ,jos4 ,smith1 #aj-ag4    #ac4 ,in    
answer to his prayer for guidance as to 
which of the sects  was right1 he was   
told to join none of them1 for all were 
wrong1 with  their creeds which are an  
abomination in the sight of ,god1 and   
their  professors who are corrupt1 in   
that they draw near with their lips     
while their hearts are far from the     
,lord1 teaching for doctrine the        
commandments of men1 having a form of   
godliness while denying the  power      
thereof4    #ad4 ,such knowledge as has 
been communicated in this unprecedented 
revelation was not to be held secret    
within the heart of the youth4 ,he      
hesitated not to impart the glorious    
truths1 first to the members of  his    

family1 who received his testimony with 
reverence1 and then to the  sectarian   
ministers1 who had labored so diligently
 to convert him to  their several       
creeds4 ,to his surprise1 these         
professed teachers of  ,christ treated  
his statements with the utmost contempt1
 declaring that  the day of revelation  
from ,god had long since passed away2   
and that  the manifestation1 if indeed  
he had received any such at all1 was    
surely from ,satan4 ,nevertheless1 the  
ministers exerted themselves1  with a   
unity of purpose strangely at variance  
with their former  hostility toward one 
another1 to ridicule the young man1 and 
to  denounce his testimony4 ,the        
neighborhood was aroused2 persecution1  
bitter and vindictive1 was waged against
 him and his family2 he was  actually   
fired upon by a would-be assassin3 yet  
through it all he was  preserved from   
bodily injury2 and in spite of          
increasing opposition he  remained      
faithfully steadfast to his testimony of

 the heavenly  visitation4#ad ,in this  
condition of trial1 he continued without
  further manifestation for three years1
 constantly expecting1 but never        
receiving the additional light and added
 instructions for which he  yearned4 ,he
 was keenly sensitive of his own frailty
 and conscious of  human weaknesses4 ,he
 pleaded before the ,lord1 acknowledging
 his errors  and craving help4      #ad 
,see ,note #b4    #ae4 ,angelic         
,visitations4--,on the night of         
,september #bast1 #ahbc1  while praying 
for forgiveness of sins and for guidance
 as to his  future course1 he was       
blessed with another heavenly           
manifestation4  ,there appeared in his  
room a brilliant light1 in the midst of 
which  stood a personage clothed in     
white1 and with a countenance of radiant
  purity and loveliness4 ,the celestial 
visitor announced himself as  ,moroni1 a
 messenger sent from the presence of    
,god2 and then he  proceeded to instruct
 the youth as to some of the ,divine    

purposes in  which ,joseph was to take a
 most important part4 ,the angel said   
that  through ,joseph as the earthly    
instrument the true ,church would be    
again established upon the earth2 that  
his name would be known among  all      
nations and tongues1 honored by the     
good1 reviled by the wicked2  that a    
record1 engraven on plates of gold1     
giving a history of the  nations that   
had formerly lived upon the western     
continent and an  account of the        
,savior's ministrations among the people
 on this land1  was hidden in a hill    
near by2 that with the plates were two  
sacred  stones1 known as ,urim and      
,thummim1 by the use of which1 men in   
olden  times had become seers1 and that 
through those instruments ,god would    
enable ,joseph to translate the record  
engraved on the plates4    #af4 ,the    
angelic messenger then repeated several 
prophecies which are  recorded in the   
ancient scriptures2 some of the         
quotations were given  with variations  

from our ,bible readings4 ,of the words 
of ,malachi the  following were quoted3 
,for behold1 the day cometh that shall  
burn as  an oven1 and all the proud1    
yea1 and all that do wickedly1 shall    
burn  as stubble1 for they that come    
shall burn them1 saith the ,lord of     
,hosts1 and it shall leave them neither 
root nor branch4#ae ,and                
further3--,behold1 ,i will reveal unto  
you the ,priesthood by the hand  of     
,elijah the prophet1 before the coming  
of the great and dreadful day  of the   
,lord4 ,and he shall plant in the hearts
 of the children the  promises made to  
the fathers1 and the hearts of the      
children shall  turn to their fathers2  
if it were not so1 the whole earth would
 be  utterly wasted at his coming4#af   
,among other scriptures1 ,moroni  cited 
the prophecies of ,isaiah relating to   
the restoration of  scattered ,israel1  
and the promised reign of righteousness 
on  earth1#ag saying that the           
predictions were about to be fulfilled2 

also the words of ,peter to the ,jews1  
concerning the prophet who ,moses  said 
would be raised up1 explaining that the 
prophet referred to was  ,christ1 and   
that the day was near at hand when all  
who rejected the  words of the ,savior  
would be cut off from among the         
people4#ah      #ae ,compare ,malachi   
iv1 #a4      #af ,compare ,malachi iv1  
#e-f4      #ag ,see ,isaiah xi4      #ah
 ,compare ,acts iii1 #bb-bc4    #ag4    
,having delivered his message1 the angel
 departed1 the light in the  room       
seeming to condense about his person1   
and disappearing with him4  ,but the    
heavenly visitant returned a second and 
a third time during  the night1 each    
time repeating the instructions1 with   
additional  admonitions as to the       
requirements1 and warnings regarding    
temptations  that would assail the      
youthful seer4 ,on the following day1   
,moroni  appeared to ,joseph again1     
reciting anew the instructions and      
cautions  of the preceding night1 and   

telling him to acquaint his father with 
all he had heard and seen4 ,this the boy
 did1 and the father promptly  testified
 that the communications were from ,god4
    #ah4 ,joseph soon repaired to the   
hill described to him in the vision4    
,he recognized the spot indicated by the
 angel1 and with some labor  laid bare a
 stone box containing the plates and    
other things spoken of  by ,moroni4 ,the
 heavenly messenger again stood beside  
him1 and forbade  the removal of the    
contents at that time1 saying that four 
years were  to elapse before the plates 
would be committed to his care1 and that
  it would be his duty to visit the spot
 at yearly intervals4 ,on the  occasion 
of each of these visits the angel       
instructed the young man  more fully    
regarding the great work awaiting him4  
#ai4 ,it is not the purpose of the      
present lecture to review in detail  the
 life and ministry of ,joseph ,smith2#ai
 so much attention has been  given to   
the opening scenes of his               

divinely-appointed mission1 in view  of 
the unusual importance associated with  
the ushering in of the  modern or new   
dispensation of ,god's providence4 ,the 
bringing forth of  the plates from their
 resting-place of centuries1 their      
translation by  divine power1 and the   
publication of the record as the ,book  
of ,mormon1  shall receive attention on 
a later occasion2 for the present it is 
sufficient to say that the ancient      
record has been translated2 that  the   
,book of ,mormon has been given to the  
world2 and that the volume is  accepted 
as scripture by the ,latter-day ,saints4
      #ai ,see ,note #e4    #bj4 ,later 
,developments3 the ,martyrdom4--,in due 
time1 the ,church of  ,jesus ,christ of 
,latter-day ,saints was organized1 the  
,priesthood having  been restored       
through the ordination of ,joseph ,smith
 by those who had  held the keys of that
 authority in former dispensations4     
,from an  initial membership of but six 
persons1 the ,church grew to include    

thousands during the life-time of the   
,prophet ,joseph2 and the growth  has   
continued with phenomenal rapidity and  
stability until the present  time4 ,one 
by one the powers and authorities       
possessed by the ,church of  old were   
restored through the man who was chosen 
and ordained to be  the first elder of  
the latter-day dispensation4 ,with the  
spread of the  ,church1 persecution     
increased1 and the effect of evil       
opposition  reached a climax in the     
cruel martyrdom of the prophet1 and his 
brother ,hyrum1 then patriarch of the   
,church1 ,june #bg1 #ahdd4 ,the         
incidents leading up to and culminating 
in the foul murder of these  men at     
,carthage1 ,illinois1 are matters of    
common history4 ,suffice it  to say that
 prophet and patriarch gave the sacred  
seal of their life's  blood to the      
testimony of the truth1 which they had  
valiantly  maintained in the face of    
intolerant persecution for nearly a     
quarter  of a century4#bj      #bj ,see 

,note #d4    #ba4 ,authenticity of      
,joseph ,smith's ,mission4--,the        
evidence of divine  authority in the    
work established by ,joseph ,smith1 and 
of the  justification of the claims made
 by and for the man1 may be summarized  
as follows3    ,i4 ,ancient prophecy has
 been fulfilled in the restoration of   
the  gospel and the re-establishment of 
the ,church upon the earth through  his 
instrumentality4    ,,ii4 ,he received  
by direct ordination and appointment1 at
 the hands of  those who held the power 
in former dispensations1 the authority  
to  minister in the various ordinances  
of the gospel4    ,,iii4 ,his possession
 of the power of true prophecy1 and of  
other  spiritual gifts1 is shown by the 
results of his ministry4    ,,iv4 ,his  
doctrines are both true and scriptural4 
,each of these classes of evidence will 
receive attention and find  ample       
demonstration in the course of our study
 of the ,articles of  ,faith2 and a     
detailed consideration will not be      

attempted at this  stage of our         
investigation2 a few illustrations1     
briefly stated1  however1 may not be out
 of place4    #bb4 ,i4 ,the ,fulfilment 
of ,prophecy1 wrought through the life  
work of  ,joseph ,smith1 is abundantly  
shown4 ,john the ,revelator1 from his   
prophetic vision of the latter-day      
dispensation1 understood and  predicted 
that the gospel would be again sent from
 the heavens1 and be  restored to the   
earth through the direct ministration of
 an  angel3--,and ,i saw another angel  
fly in the midst of heaven1 having  the 
everlasting gospel to preach unto them  
that dwell on the earth1  and to every  
nation1 and kindred1 and tongue1 and    
people4#ba ,a  partial fulfilment of    
this prediction is claimed in the       
manifestation  of the angel ,moroni to  
,joseph ,smith1 as already described1   
whereby the  restoration of the gospel  
was announced1 and the speedy           
realization of  other ancient prophecies
 was promised2 and a record1 described  

in part  as containing the fulness of   
the everlasting gospel1 was committed   
to his care for translation and         
publication among all nations1  kindred1
 and tongues4 ,the remainder of ,john's 
fateful utterance1  regarding the       
authorized call for repentance and the  
execution of  ,god's judgment           
preparatory to the awful scenes of the  
last days1 is  now in process of rapid  
and literal fulfilment4      #ba ,rev4  
xiv1 #f4 ,see ,note #i4    #bc4 ,malachi
 predicted the coming of ,elijah        
specially commissioned  with power to   
inaugurate the work of co-operation     
between the fathers  and the children1  
and announced this mission as a         
necessary  preliminary to the advent of 
the great and dreadful day of the       
,lord4#bb ,the angel ,moroni confirmed  
the truth and significance of  this     
prediction in an emphatic               
reiteration4#bc ,joseph ,smith and his  
associate in the ministry1 ,oliver      
,cowdery1 solemnly testify that they    

were visited by ,elijah the prophet1 in 
the temple at ,kirtland1 ,ohio1  on the 
third day of ,april1 #ahcf2 on which    
occasion the heavenly  messenger        
declared that the day spoken of by      
,malachi had fully come2  ,therefore1   
continued he1 the keys of this          
dispensation are  committed into your   
hands1 and by this ye may know that the 
great and  dreadful day of the ,lord is 
near1 even at the doors4#bd ,the        
particular nature of the union of the   
fathers and the children1 upon  which   
both ,malachi and ,moroni laid great    
stress1 has been explained as           
consisting in the work of vicarious     
ordinances1 including baptism for  the  
dead who have passed from earth without 
a knowledge of the gospel4  ,in teaching
 this doctrine1 and in complying with   
its behests1 the  ,church of ,jesus     
,christ of ,latter-day ,saints stands   
to-day alone  amongst all the sects     
professing ,christianity4      #bb ,mal4
 iv1 #e-f4      #bc ,see page #aa4      

#bd ,doc4  ,cov4 cx1 #ac-af4    #bd4    
,the ancient scriptures are teeming with
 prophecies concerning  the restoration 
of ,israel in the last days1 and the    
gathering of the  chosen people from    
among the nations and from the lands    
into which  they have been led or driven
 as a penalty for their waywardness and 
sin4#be ,such prominence and importance 
are attached to this work of  gathering1
 in the predictions of olden times1 that
 from the days of  ,israel's exodus1 the
 last days have been characterized in   
sacred writ  as a gathering             
dispensation4 ,the return of the tribes 
after their long  and wide dispersion is
 made a preliminary work to the         
establishment of  the predicted reign of
 righteousness with ,christ on the      
throne of the  world2 and its           
accomplishment is given as a sure       
precursor of the  millennium4 ,jerusalem
 is to be re-established as the ,city of
 the ,great  ,king on the eastern       
,hemisphere2 and ,zion1 or the ,new     

,jerusalem1 is to  be built on the      
western continent2 the ,ten ,tribes are 
to be brought  back from their hiding   
place in the north2 and the curse is to 
be  removed from ,israel4#bf ,from the  
early days of ,joseph ,smith's          
ministry1 he taught the doctrine of the 
gathering as imposing a  present duty   
upon the ,church2 and this phase of the 
,latter-day ,saint  labor is one of its 
most characteristic features4 ,joseph   
,smith and  ,oliver ,cowdery declare    
that the authority for prosecuting this 
work  was committed to the ,church      
through them by ,moses1 who held the    
keys  of authority as ,israel's leader  
in former times4 ,their testimony is    
thus stated1 in the description given of
 manifestations in the  ,kirtland       
,temple1 ,april #c1 #ahcf3--,moses      
appeared before us1 and  committed unto 
us the keys of the gathering of ,israel 
from the four  parts of the earth1 and  
the leading of the ten tribes from the  
land of  the north4#bg ,as to the       

earnestness with which this labor has   
been  begun1 and the fair progress      
already made therein1 consider the      
hundreds of thousands belonging to the  
families of ,israel already  gathered in
 the valleys of the ,rocky ,mountains1  
about the house of the  ,lord1 now      
established2 and hear the hymn of the   
chosen seed among the  nations1 chanted 
to the accompaniment of effective deeds1
 ,come1 and  let us go up to the        
mountain of the ,lord1 and to the house 
of the ,god  of ,jacob2 and ,he will    
teach us of ,his ways1 and we will walk 
in ,his  paths2 for the law shall go    
forth of ,zion1 and the word of the     
,lord  from ,jerusalem4#bh      #be ,see
 ,lectures on ,article #aj1 pp4         
#cbf-cff4      #bf ,see pp4 #cbf-chc4   
#bg ,doc4  ,cov4 cx1 #aa4      #bh      
,micah iv1 #a-b4    #be4 ,the bringing  
forth of the ,book of ,mormon is held by
 the  ,latter-day ,saints to be a direct
 fulfilment of prophecy4#bi ,in         
predicting the humiliation of ,israel1  

to whom had been committed the  power of
 the priesthood in early days1 ,isaiah  
gave voice to the word  of the ,lord in 
this wise3--,and thou shalt be brought  
down1 and shalt  speak out of the       
ground1 and thy speech shall be low out 
of the dust1  and thy voice shall be1 as
 of one that hath a familiar spirit1 out
 of  the ground1 and thy speech shall   
whisper out of the dust4#cj ,the  ,book 
of ,mormon is verily the voice of a     
people brought low1 speaking  from the  
dust1 for from the dust the book was    
literally taken4 ,the  volume professes 
to be the history of but a small        
division of the  house of ,israel1--a   
part of the family of ,joseph indeed1   
who were led  by a miraculous power to  
the western continent six centuries     
prior to  the ,christian era4 ,of the   
record of ,joseph1 and its coming forth 
as a  parallel testimony to that of     
,judah1 or the ,bible in part1 the ,lord
  thus spake through the prophet        
,ezekiel3--,moreover1 thou son of man1  

take thee one stick1 and write upon it1 
,for ,judah1 and for the  children of   
,israel his companions3 then take       
another stick1 and write  upon it1 ,for 
,joseph1 the stick of ,ephraim1 and for 
all the house of  ,israel his           
companions3 ,and join them one to       
another into one stick2  and they shall 
become one in thine hand4 ,and when the 
children of thy  people shall speak unto
 thee1 saying1 ,wilt thou not show us   
what thou  meanest by these8 ,say unto  
them1 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god2       
,behold1 ,i  will take the stick of     
,joseph1 which is in the hand of        
,ephraim1 and  the tribes of ,israel his
 fellows1 and will put them with him1   
even  with the stick of ,judah1 and make
 them one stick1 and they shall be  one 
in mine hand4#ca ,the succeeding verses 
declare that the  gathering and         
restoration of ,israel would immediately
 follow the  united testimony of the    
records of ,judah and ,joseph4 ,the two 
records  are before the world1 a unit in

 their testimony of the everlasting     
,gospel2 and the work of gathering is in
 effective progress4      #bi ,see      
,lectures on ,book of ,mormon1 ,article 
#h1 pp4 #bfa-cjg4      #cj ,isa4 xxix1  
#d2 see also ,,ii ,nephi iii1 #ai4      
#ca ,ezek4 xxxvii1 #af-ai4    #bf4 ,it  
is further evident from the scriptures1 
that the dispensation  of the ,gospel in
 the latter days is to be one of        
restoration and  restitution1 a         
dispensation of the fulness of times in 
very truth4  ,paul declares it to be the
 good pleasure of the ,lord1 ,that in   
the  dispensation of the fulness of     
times he might gather together in one   
all things in ,christ1 both which are in
 heaven1 and which are on  earth2 even  
in him4#cb ,this prediction finds a     
parallel in an  utterance of the prophet
 ,nephi3--,wherefore all things which   
have been  revealed unto the children of
 men1 shall at that day be revealed4#cc 
,and in accord with this is the teaching
 of ,peter3 ,repent ye  therefore1 and  

be converted1 that your sins may be     
blotted out1 when  the times of         
refreshing shall come from the presence 
of the ,lord2 ,and  he shall send ,jesus
 ,christ1 which before was preached unto
 you3 ,whom  the heavens must receive   
until the times of restitution of all   
things1  which ,god hath spoken by the  
mouth of all his holy prophets since the
  world began4#cd ,now comes ,joseph    
,smith with the declaration that  unto  
him has been given the authority to open
 up this1 the  dispensation of fulness1 
restitution1 and restoration2 and that  
through him the ,church has been endowed
 with all the keys and powers  of the   
priesthood1 held and exercised in       
earlier periods3 ,unto the  ,church is  
the power of this priesthood given1 for 
the last days1 and  for the last time1  
in the which is the dispensation of the 
fulness of  times1 which power you hold 
in connection with all those who have   
received a dispensation at any time from
 the beginning of  creation4#ce ,the    

actual possession of these combined and 
unified  powers is sufficiently proved  
by the comprehensive work of the ,church
  in its present scope of operation4    
#cb ,eph4 i1 #i-aj4      #cc ,,ii ,nephi
 xxx1 #ah4      #cd ,acts iii1 #ai-ba4  
#ce ,doc4  ,cov4 cxii1 #cj-cb4    #bg4  
,,ii4 ,joseph ,smith's ,authority was   
conferred upon him by direct            
ministrations of heavenly beings1 each  
of whom had once exercised the  same    
power upon the earth4 ,we have already  
seen how the angel ,moroni1  formerly a 
mortal prophet among the ,nephites1     
transmitted to ,joseph  the appointment 
to bring forth the record which he1     
,moroni1 had buried  in the earth over  
fourteen hundred years before4 ,we learn
 further1  that on the #aeth of ,may1   
#ahbi1 the lesser or ,aaronic           
,priesthood was  conferred upon ,joseph 
,smith and ,oliver ,cowdery by the hand 
of ,john the  ,baptist1#cf who came in  
his immortalized state with that        
particular  order of priesthood which   

comprises the keys of the ministrations 
of  angels1 the doctrine of repentance  
and of baptism for the remission of     
sins4 ,this was the same ,john who1 with
 the voice of one crying in the         
wilderness1 had preached the self-same  
doctrine1 and had administered  the same
 ordinance in ,judea as the immediate   
forerunner of the  ,messiah4 ,in        
delivering his message1 ,john the       
,baptist stated that he  was acting     
under the direction of ,peter1 ,james1  
and ,john1 apostles of  the ,lord1 in   
whose hands reposed the keys of the     
higher or ,melchizedek  ,priesthood1    
which in time would also be given4 ,this
 promise was  fulfilled a month or so   
later1 when the apostles named          
manifested  themselves to ,joseph and   
,oliver1 ordaining them to the          
apostleship1#cg  which comprises all the
 offices of the higher order of         
priesthood1  and which carries authority
 to minister in all the established     
ordinances of the ,gospel4      #cf     

,doc4  ,cov4 xiii4      #cg ,doc4  ,cov4
 xxvii1 #ab4    #bh4 ,then1 some time   
after the ,church had been duly         
organized1  authority for certain       
special functions was given1 the        
appointing  messenger being in each case
 the one whose right it was so to       
officiate by virtue of the commission   
which he had held in the days of  his   
mortality4 ,thus1 as has been seen1     
,moses conferred the authority  to      
prosecute the work of gathering2 and    
,elijah1 who1 not having tasted  death1 
held a peculiar relation to both the    
living and the dead1  delivered the     
authority of vicarious ministry for the 
departed4 ,to  these appointments by    
heavenly authority should be added that 
given by  ,elias1 who appeared to       
,joseph ,smith and ,oliver ,cowdery1 and
 committed  the dispensation of the     
gospel of ,abraham1 saying as was said  
of the  ,father of the ,faithful and his
 descendants in olden times1 that in    
them and in their seed should all       

succeeding generations be  blessed4#ch  
#ch ,doc4  ,cov4 cx1 #ab4    #bi4 ,it is
 evident1 then1 that the claims made by 
the ,church with  respect to its        
authority are complete and consistent as
 to the source  of the powers professed1
 and the channels through which such    
have been  delivered again to earth4    
,scripture and revelation1 both ancient 
and  modern1 support as an unalterable  
law the principle that no one can       
delegate to another an authority which  
the giver does not possess4    #cj4     
,,iii4 ,joseph ,smith was himself a true
 ,prophet4--,this statement1  if fully  
substantiated1 would be of itself       
sufficient proof of the  validity of the
 claims of this modern prophet1 and the 
test is not  difficult of application4  
,in the days of ancient ,israel1 an     
effective  method of trying the claims  
of a professed prophet was prescribed3--
  ,when a prophet speaketh in the name  
of the ,lord1 if the thing follow  not1 
nor come to pass1 that is the thing     

which the ,lord hath not  spoken1 but   
the prophet hath spoken it              
presumptuously2 thou shalt not  be      
afraid of him4#ci ,conversely1 if the   
words of the prophet are  made good by  
fulfilment1 there is at least proof     
presumptive of his  genuineness4 ,of the
 many predictions uttered by ,joseph    
,smith and  already fulfilled or        
awaiting the set time of their          
realization1 a few  citations will      
suffice for our present purpose4        
#ci ,deut4 xviii1 #bb4    #ca4 ,one of  
the earliest prophecies declared by him1
 which1 while not  his independent      
utterance but that of the angel ,moroni1
 was  nevertheless given to the world by
 ,joseph ,smith1 had special reference  
to the ,book of ,mormon1 of which the   
angel said3 ,the knowledge that  this   
record contains will go to every nation1
 and kindred1 and tongue1  and people1  
under the whole heaven4#dj ,this        
declaration was made  four years before 
the work of translation was begun1 and  

fourteen  years before the elders of the
 ,church began their missionary labor in
  foreign lands4 ,since that time the   
,book of ,mormon has been translated    
into seventeen foreign languages1 and is
 published in fifteen tongues2  and the 
work is still in progress4      #dj     
,times and ,seasons1 ,vol4 ,,ii1 ,no4   
#ac4    #cb4 ,in ,august1 #ahdb1 while  
the ,church was suffering persecution in
  ,illinois1 and when the western part  
of the continent was but little  known  
and only as the territory of an alien   
nation1 ,joseph ,smith  prophesied that 
the ,saints would continue to suffer    
much affliction1  and would be driven to
 the ,rocky ,mountains1 and that while  
many then  professing allegiance to the 
,church would apostatize1 and others1   
faithful to their testimony1 would meet 
the martyr's fate1 some would  live to  
assist in making settlements and build  
cities and see the  ,saints become a    
mighty people in the midst of the ,rocky
  ,mountains4#da ,the literal fulfilment

 of this prediction1 uttered in  #ahdb1 
and it may be added1 foreshadowed by an 
earlier prophecy in  #ahca1db the one   
five1 the other sixteen years before the
 migration  of the ,church to the ,west1
 is attested by the common history of   
the  settlement and development of this 
once inhospitable region4 ,even the     
skeptic and the pronounced opponents of 
the ,church admit the miracle  of the   
establishment of a mighty commonwealth  
in the valleys of the  ,rocky           
,mountains4      #da ,millennial ,star1 
,vol4 ,,xix1 p4 #fcj4 ,also ,hist4 of   
the ,ch41    ,vol4 ,v1 p4 #he4      #db 
,doc4 and ,cov4 xlix1 #bd-be4    #cc4 ,a
 most remarkable prediction regarding   
national affairs was  uttered by ,joseph
 ,smith1 ,december #beth1 #ahcb2 it was 
soon thereafter  promulgated among the  
members of the ,church1 and was preached
 by the  elders1 but did not appear in  
print until #ahea4dc ,the revelation    
reads in part as follows3--,verily thus 
saith the ,lord1 concerning the  wars   

that will shortly come to pass1         
beginning at the rebellion of  ,south   
,carolina1 which will eventually        
terminate in the death and  misery of   
many souls4 ,the days will come that war
 will be poured out  upon all nations1  
beginning at that place2 ,for1 behold1  
the ,southern  ,states shall be divided 
against the ,northern ,states1 and the  
,southern  ,states will call on other   
nations1 even the nation of ,great      
,britain2 444 ,and it shall come to     
pass1 after many days1 slaves shall     
rise up against their masters1 who shall
 be marshalled and disciplined  for war4
 ,every student of ,united ,states      
history is acquainted with  the facts   
establishing a complete fulfilment1 even
 to the minutest  detail1 of this       
astounding prophecy4 ,in #ahfa1 more    
than twenty-eight  years after the      
foregoing prediction was recorded1 and  
ten years after  its publication in     
,england1 the ,civil ,war broke out1    
beginning in  ,south ,carolina4 ,the    

ghastly records of that fratricidal     
strife sadly  support the prediction    
concerning the death and misery of many 
souls4 ,it is well known that slaves    
deserted the ,south and were  marshalled
 in the armies of the ,north1 and that  
the ,confederate ,states  solicited aid 
of ,great ,britain4 ,while no open      
alliance between the  ,southern ,states 
and ,england was effected1 the ,british 
government gave  indirect assistance and
 substantial encouragement to the       
,south1 and  this in such a way as to   
produce serious international           
complications4  ,vessels were built and 
equipped at ,british ports in the       
interests of  the ,confederacy2 and the 
results of this violation of the laws of
  neutrality cost ,great ,britain the   
sum of fifteen and a half millions  of  
dollars1 which sum was awarded the      
,united ,states at the ,geneva          
arbitration in settlement of the        
,alabama claims4 ,the ,confederacy      
appointed commissioners to ,great       

,britain and ,france2 these appointees  
were forcibly taken by ,united ,states  
officers from the ,british steamer  on  
which they had embarked4 ,this act1     
which the ,united ,states  government   
had to admit as overt1 threatened for a 
time to precipitate  a war between this 
nation and ,great ,britain4      #dc    
,see ,pearl of ,great ,price1 ,british  
edition of #ahea1 and    ,millennial    
,star1 ,vol4 ,,xlix1 p4 #cif4 ,the      
prophecy is now a part of    the        
,doctrine and ,covenants1 see section   
lxxxvii4    #cd4 ,the revelation cited1 
as given through ,joseph ,smith1        
contained  other predictions1 some of   
which are yet awaiting fulfilment4#dd   
,the  evidence presented is sufficient  
to prove that ,joseph ,smith is         
prominent among men by reason of his    
instrumentality in fulfilling           
prophecies uttered by the ,lord's       
representatives in former times1 and    
that his own claim to the rank of       
prophet is abundantly vindicated4  ,but 

the endowment of prophecy so richly     
bestowed upon this ,elias of  the last  
days1 and so freely yet unerringly      
exercised by him1 is but  one of the    
many spiritual gifts by which he1 in    
common with a host of  others who have  
received the priesthood from him1 was   
distinguished4  ,the scriptures declare 
that certain signs shall attend the     
,church of  ,christ1 among them the     
gifts of tongues1 healing1 immunity from
  threatening death1 and the power to   
control evil spirits4#de ,the  exercise 
of these powers1 resulting in what are  
ordinarily termed  miracles1 is by no   
means an infallible proof of divine     
authority2 for  many true prophets have 
wrought no such wonders1 and men have   
been  known to work miracles at the     
instigation of evil spirits4#df         
,nevertheless1 the possession of the    
power implied by the working of         
miracles is an essential characteristic 
of the ,church2 and when such  acts are 
wrought in the accomplishment of holy   

purposes1 they serve as  confirmatory   
evidence of divine authority4 ,therefore
 we may expect to  find1 as find we do1 
in the ministry of ,joseph ,smith and in
 that of  the ,church in general1 the   
attested record of miracles1 comprising 
manifestations of all the promised gifts
 of the ,spirit4 ,this subject  will be 
further considered on another           
occasion4#dg      #dd ,see ,doc4 and    
,cov4 lxxxvii1 #e-g4      #de ,mark xvi1
 #af-ah2 ,luke x1 #ai1 etc42 ,doc4 and  
,cov4 lxxxiv1    #fe-gb4      #df ,exo4 
vii1 #aa1 #bb3 viii1 #g1 #ah2 ,rev4     
xiii1 #ac-ae3 xvi1 #ac-ad4      #dg ,see
 ,lecture on ,article #g1 pp4 #bai-bci4 
#ce4 ,,iv4 ,the ,doctrines ,taught by   
,joseph ,smith and by the ,church       
to-day are true and scriptural4 ,to     
sustain this statement we must  examine 
the principal teachings of the ,church  
in separate order4 ,the  ,articles of   
,faith furnish us a convenient summary  
of many of the  doctrines pertaining to 
the latter-day work2 and these we will  

proceed  to study in the course of the  
lectures that are to follow4            
,,notes4         #a4 ,the ,articles of  
,faith date from ,march #a1 #ahda4 ,they
       constitute a portion of a letter 
from the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith to     
a ,mr4 ,wentworth1 of ,chicago4 ,the    
,articles were published in the         
,history of ,joseph ,smith3 7,see       
,millennial ,star1 vol4 ,,xix1 p4       
#abj2 also ,times and ,seasons1 vol4    
,,iii1 p4 #gji47 ,as stated             
elsewhere1 the ,articles have been      
formally adopted by the ,church       as
 an authorized summary of its principal 
doctrines4         #b4 ,joseph ,smith's 
,early ,persecution4--,the ,prophet     
wrote as       follows concerning the   
persecution of his boyhood days1 which  
dated from the time of his first mention
 of his vision of the       ,father and 
the ,son3--,it has often caused me      
serious reflection1       both then and 
since1 how very strange it was that an  
obscure boy1       a little over        

fourteen years of age1 and one too who  
was doomed       to the necessity of    
obtaining a scanty maintenance by his   
daily       labor1 should be thought a  
character of sufficient importance to   
attract the attention of the great ones 
of the most popular sects       of the  
day1 so as to create in them a spirit of
 the hottest       persecution and      
reviling4 ,but strange or not1 so it    
was1 and was       often cause of great 
sorrow to myself4 ,however1 it was1     
nevertheless1 a fact that ,i had had a  
vision4 ,i have thought       since that
 ,i felt much like ,paul when he made   
his defense before       ,king ,agrippa1
 and related the account of the vision  
he had when       he saw a light and    
heard a voice1 but still there were but 
a few       who believed him2 some said 
he was dishonest1 others said he was    
mad1 and he was ridiculed and reviled2  
but all this did not       destroy the  
reality of his vision4 ,he had seen a   
vision1 he knew       he had1 and all   

the persecution under heaven could not  
make it       otherwise2 444 ,so it was 
with me2 ,i had actually seen a light1  
and in the midst of that light ,i saw   
two personages1 and they did       in   
reality speak unto me1 or one of them   
did2 and though ,i was       hated and  
persecuted for saying that ,i had seen a
 vision1 yet it       was true2 and     
while they were persecuting me1 reviling
 me1 and       speaking all manner of   
evil against me1 falsely1 for so saying1
 ,i       was led to say in my heart1   
,why persecute for telling the truth8   
,i had actually seen a vision1 and who  
am ,i that ,i can withstand       ,god8 
,pearl of ,great ,price3--,extracts from
 the ,history of       ,joseph ,smith3  
#bc-be4         #c4 ,tribute to ,joseph 
,smith4--,while few people outside the  
,church have had much to say in         
commendation of this modern             
prophet1 it is interesting to note that 
there are some honorable                
exceptions to the rule4 ,josiah ,quincy1

 a prominent ,american1 made       the  
acquaintance of ,joseph ,smith a short  
time before the latter's                
martyrdom2 and after the tragic event he
 wrote3 ,it is by no       means        
improbable that some future text-book1  
for the use of       generations yet    
unborn1 will contain a question         
something like       this3 ,what        
historical ,american of the nineteenth  
century has       exerted the most      
powerful influence upon the destinies of
 his       countrymen8 ,and it is by no 
means impossible that the answer to     
that interrogatory may be thus written3 
,joseph ,smith1 the ,mormon             
,prophet4 ,and the reply1 absurd as it  
doubtless seems to most men       now1  
may be an obvious commonplace to their  
descendants4 ,history       deals in    
surprises and paradoxes quite as        
startling as this4 ,the       man who   
establishes a religion in this age of   
free debate1 who       was and is today 
accepted by hundreds of thousands as a  

direct       emissary from the ,most    
,high1--such a rare human being is not  
to       be disposed of by pelting his  
memory with unsavory epithets4444       
,the most vital questions ,americans are
 asking each other today       have to  
do with this man and what he has left   
us4444 ,burning       questions they    
are1 which must give a prominent place  
in the       history of the country to  
that sturdy self-asserter whom ,i       
visited at ,nauvoo1 ,joseph ,smith1     
claiming to be an inspired              
teacher1 faced adversity1 such as few   
men have been called to       meet1     
enjoyed a brief season of prosperity1   
such as few men have       ever         
attained1 and1 finally1 forty-three days
 after ,i saw him1       went cheerfully
 to a martyr's death4 ,when he          
surrendered his       person to         
,governor ,ford1 in order to prevent the
 shedding of       blood1 the ,prophet  
had a presentiment of what was before   
him4 ',i       am going like a lamb to  

the slaughter1' he is reported to have  
said1 'but ,i am as calm as a summer's  
morning4 ,i have a       conscience void
 of offence1 and shall die innocent4'   
,figures of       the ,past by ,josiah  
,quincy1 p4 #cgf4         #d4 ,the ,seal
 of ,martyrdom4--,the highest evidence  
of sincerity       that a man can give  
his fellow-men1--the highest proof that 
he       has spoken the truth in any    
given case--is that he perseveres in    
it unto death1 and seals his testimony  
with his blood4444 ,so       important  
did such a testimony become in the      
estimation of ,paul1       that he said 
',where a testament is there must also  
of necessity       be the death of the  
testator4 ,for a testament is of force  
after       men are dead3 otherwise it  
is of no strength at all while the      
testator liveth4' 7,heb4 ix1 #af-ag47   
,in the light of this       principle1  
and when the importance of the great    
testimony which       he bore to the    
world is taken into account1 it is not  

to be       wondered at that ,joseph    
,smith was called upon to affix the     
broad       seal of martyrdom to his    
life's work4 ,something of              
incompleteness in his work would likely 
have been complained of       had this  
been lacking2 but now1 not so2 his      
character of prophet       was rounded  
out to complete fulness by his falling a
 martyr under       the murderous fire  
of a mob at ,carthage in the ,state of  
,illinois4--,elder ,b4 ,h4 ,roberts1 in 
,a ,new ,witness for ,god1       pp4    
#dgg-dgh4         #e4 ,joseph ,smith2   
,further ,references4--,for biography1  
see ,the       ,life of ,joseph ,smith1 
the ,prophet1 by ,pres4 ,george ,q4     
,cannon4       ,see also ,divine        
,authority1 or the question1 ,was       
,joseph ,smith       ,sent of ,god8 a   
pamphlet by ,apostle ,orson ,pratt2     
,joseph       ,smith's ,prophetic       
,calling2 ,millennial ,star1 ,vol4      
,,xlii1 pp4       #afd1 #ahg1 #aie1     
#bbg4 ,letters1 by ,elder ,orson        

,spencer to ,rev4 ,wm4       ,crowell2  
,no4 #a2 ,a ,new ,witness for ,god1 by  
,elder ,b4 ,h4       ,roberts4          
#f4 ,joseph ,smith's ,descent4--,joseph 
,smith was of humble birth4       ,his  
parents and their progenitors were      
toilers1 but their       characters were
 godly and their names unstained4 ,near 
the middle       of the seventeenth     
century ,robert ,smith1 a sturdy yeoman 
of       ,england1 emigrated to the ,new
 ,world1 the land of promise4 ,with     
his wife1 ,mary1 he settled in ,essex1  
,massachusetts4 ,the numerous           
descendants of these worthy people      
intermarried with many of the           
staunchest and most industrious families
 of ,new ,england4 ,samuel1       the   
son of ,robert and ,mary1 born ,january 
#bfth1 #afff1 wedded       ,rebecca     
,curtis1 ,january #beth1 #agjg4 ,their  
son1 the second ,samuel1       was born 
,january #bfth1 #agad2 he married       
,priscilla ,gould1 and was       the    
father of ,asael1 born ,march #ast1     

#agdd4 ,asael ,smith took to       wife 
,mary ,duty1 and their son ,joseph was  
born ,july #abth1 #agga4 ,on       the  
#bdth of ,january1 #agif1 ,joseph       
married ,lucy ,mack at ,tunbridge       
in the ,state of ,vermont4 ,she was born
 ,july #hth1 #aggf1 and was the         
daughter of ,solomon and ,lydia ,mack1  
and was the granddaughter of            
,ebenezer ,mack4--,the ,life of ,joseph 
,smith1 the ,prophet1 by       ,george  
,q4 ,cannon2 ,chapter ,i4 ,joseph the   
,prophet was the third son       and    
fourth child of ,joseph and ,lucy       
7,mack7 ,smith2 he was born at          
,sharon1 ,vermont1 ,december #bc;d1     
#ahje4         #g4 ,the ,standard ,works
 of the ,church4--,the ,bible and the   
,book of       ,mormon--the first two of
 the standard works of the ,church--are 
to       receive attention in later     
lectures 7see pp4 #bdj-cjg74 ,the       
,doctrine and ,covenants is a           
compilation of modern revelations as    
given to the ,church in the present     

dispensation4 ,the ,pearl of            
,great ,price comprises the visions and 
writings of ,moses as       revealed to 
,joseph ,smith1 the ,book of ,abraham--a
 translation by       ,joseph ,smith    
from certain ancient papyri--and some of
 the       writings of ,joseph ,smith4  
#h4 ,history of the ,restored           
,church4--,further information          
regarding the life work of ,joseph      
,smith1 and the growth of the           
,church of ,jesus ,christ as restored to
 earth through his                      
instrumentality1 may be found in the    
,history of the ,church of       ,jesus 
,christ of ,latter-day ,saints1 ,salt   
,lake ,city1 ,utah4 ,for a       brief  
synopsis of ,church history see ,the    
,story of ,mormonism1 by       ,james   
,e4 ,talmage1 ,liverpool1 #aijg2 ,salt  
,lake ,city1 #aiaj4         #i4         
,restoration of the ,gospel4--,plainly  
the vision-prophecy of       ,john      
7,rev4 xiv1 #f1 #g71 relating to the    
restoration of the gospel       to      

earth1 could not refer to the gospel    
record preserved in the       ,holy     
,bible1 for that record has remained in 
the possession of       mankind4 ,as    
stated in our text 7page #ad7 a partial 
fulfilment is       found in the        
visitation of ,moroni and the           
restoration of the ,book       of       
,mormon1 which is to us of modern times 
a new scripture1 and       one          
containing a fuller record of the       
everlasting gospel4       ,however1 a   
record of the gospel is not the gospel  
itself4       ,authority to administer  
in the saving ordinances of the gospel  
is       essential to the effective     
preaching and administration thereof2   
this was restored through ,john the     
,baptist1 who brought the       ,aaronic
 ,priesthood1 and through ,peter1       
,james1 and ,john who       brought     
again to earth the ,melchizedek         
,priesthood 7see pp4 #aic1       #aid   
herein74 ,for commentary on ,rev4 xiv1  
#f1 #g1 see ,the ,great       ,apostasy1

 p4 #afh4          ,,lecture ,,ii4      
,,god ,,and ,,the ,,godhead4            
,article #a4--,we believe in ,god1 the  
,eternal ,father1 and in ,his           
,son1 ,jesus ,christ1 and in the ,holy  
,ghost4      #a4 ,the ,existence of     
,god4--,since faith in ,god constitutes 
the  foundation of religious belief and 
practice1 and inasmuch as a  knowledge  
of the attributes and character of      
,deity is essential to an  intelligent  
exercise of faith in ,him1 this subject 
claims first place  in our study of the 
doctrines of the ,church4    #b4 ,the   
existence of ,god is scarcely a question
 of rational dispute2  nor does it call 
for proof by the feeble demonstrations  
of man's  logic1 for the fact is        
admitted by the human family practically
  without question1 and the             
consciousness of subjection to a supreme
  power is an inborn quality of mankind4
 ,the early scriptures are in no  sense 
devoted to a primary demonstration of   
,god's existence1 nor to  attacks on the

 sophistries of atheism2 and from this  
fact we may infer  that the errors of   
doubt developed in some period later    
than the  first4 ,the universal assent  
of mankind to the existence of ,god is  
at  least a strongly corroborative      
truth4 ,there is a filial passion within
  human nature which flames toward      
heaven4 ,every nation1 every tribe1     
every individual1 yearns for some object
 of reverence4 ,it is natural  for man  
to worship2 his soul is unsatisfied till
 it finds a deity4  ,when men through   
transgression first fell into darkness  
concerning the  true and living ,god1   
they established for themselves other   
deities2  and so arose the abominations 
of idolatry4 ,and yet1 terrible as these
  practices are1 even the most revolting
 idolatries testify to the  existence of
 a ,god by declaring man's hereditary   
passion for worship4  ,plutarch has     
wisely remarked of ancient conditions3  
,if you search the  world1 you may find 
cities without walls1 without letters1  

without  kings1 without money2 but no   
one ever saw a city without a deity1    
without a temple1 or without prayers4   
,this general assent to a belief  in the
 existence of ,deity is testimony of a  
high order2 and in this  connection the 
words of ,aristotle may be              
applied3--,what seems true to  some wise
 men is somewhat probable2 what seems   
true to most or all  wise men is very   
probable2 what most men1 both wise and  
unwise1 assent  to1 still more resembles
 truth2 but what men generally consent  
in has  the highest probability1 and    
approaches so near to demonstrated      
truth1  that it may pass for ridiculous 
arrogance and self-conceitedness1 or    
for intolerable obstinacy and           
perverseness1 to decry it4#dh      #dh  
,see ,notes #a1 #b1 and #c4    #c4 ,the 
multiplicity of evidence upon which     
mankind rest their  conviction regarding
 the existence of a ,supreme ,being1 may
 be  classified1 for convenience of     
consideration1 under the three          

following heads3    ,i4 ,the evidence of
 history and tradition4    ,,ii4 ,the   
evidence furnished by the exercise of   
human reason4    ,,iii4 ,the conclusive 
evidence of direct revelation from ,god 
,himself4    #d4 ,i4 ,history and       
,tradition4--,history as written by man1
 and  tradition as transmitted from     
generation to generation prior to the   
date of any written record now extant1  
give evidence of the actuality  of      
,deity1 and of close and personal       
dealings between ,god and man in  the   
first epochs of human existence4 ,one of
 the most ancient records  known1 the   
,bible1 names ,god as the ,creator of   
all things1#di and  moreover1 declares  
that ,he revealed ,himself to our first 
earthly  parents and to many other holy 
personages in the early days of the     
world4 ,adam and ,eve heard ,his        
voice#ej in the ,garden1 and even after 
their transgression they continued to   
call upon ,god and to sacrifice  to     
,him4 ,it is plain1 therefore1 that they

 carried with them from the  ,garden a  
knowledge of ,god4 ,after their         
expulsion they heard the voice  of the  
,lord from the way toward the ,garden of
 ,eden1 though they saw  ,him not2 and  
,he gave unto them commandments1 which  
they obeyed4 ,then  came to ,adam an    
angelic messenger1 and the ,holy ,ghost 
inspired the man  and bare record of the
 ,father and the ,son4#ea      #di      
,genesis i2 see also ,pearl of ,great   
,price1 ,moses ii1 #a4      #ej ,genesis
 iii1 #h2 and ,pearl of ,great ,price1  
,moses iv1 #ad4      #ea ,pearl of      
,great ,price1 ,moses v1 #f-i4    #e4   
,cain and ,abel learned of ,god from the
 teachings of their parents1  as well as
 from personal ministrations4 ,after the
 acceptance of ,abel's  offering1 and   
the rejection of that of ,cain followed 
by ,cain's  terrible crime of           
fratricide1 the ,lord talked with ,cain1
 and ,cain  answered the ,lord4#eb ,cain
 must1 therefore1 have taken a personal 
knowledge of ,god from ,eden into the   

land where he went to dwell4#ec  ,adam  
lived to be nine hundred and thirty     
years old and many children  were born  
unto him4 ,them he instructed in the    
fear of ,god1 and many of  them received
 direct ministrations4 ,of ,adam's      
descendants1 ,seth1 ,enos1  ,cainan1    
,mahalaleel1 ,jared1 ,enoch1            
,methuselah1 and ,lamech the father of  
,noah1 each representing a distinct     
generation1 were all living during      
,adam's lifetime4 ,noah was born but a  
hundred and twenty-six years  after the 
time of ,adam's death1 and moreover     
lived nearly six hundred  years with his
 father ,lamech1 by whom he was         
doubtless instructed in  the traditions 
concerning ,god's personal              
manifestations1 which ,lamech  had      
learned from the lips of ,adam4 ,through
 the medium of ,noah and his  family1 a 
knowledge of ,god by direct tradition   
was carried beyond the  flood2 and ,noah
 held direct communication with ,god1#ed
 and lived to  instruct ten generations 

of his descendants4 ,then followed      
,abraham1  who also enjoyed direct      
communion with the ,creator1#ee and     
after him  ,isaac1 and ,jacob or        
,israel1 among whose descendants the    
,lord wrought  such wonders through the 
instrumentality of ,moses4 ,thus1 had   
there  been no written records1         
tradition would have preserved and      
transmitted a knowledge of ,god4        
#eb ,genesis iv1 #i-af2 ,pearl of ,great
 ,price1 ,moses v1 #bb1 #cd-dj4      #ec
 ,genesis iv1 #af2 ,pearl of ,great     
,price1 ,moses v1 #da4      #ed ,genesis
 vi1 #ac1 and succeeding chapter4       
#ee ,genesis xii1 and succeeding        
chapters4    #f4 ,but even if the       
accounts of the earliest of man's       
personal  communion with ,god had become
 dimmed with time1 and therefore        
weakened  in effect1 they could but give
 place to other traditions founded on   
later manifestations of the ,divine     
personality4 ,unto ,moses the ,lord     
made ,himself known1 not alone from     

behind the curtain of fire and the      
screen of clouds1#ef but by direct face 
to face communication1  whereby the     
chosen high-priest beheld even the      
similitude of his  ,god4#eg ,this       
account of direct communion between     
,moses and ,god1 in  part of which the  
people were permitted to share1#eh as   
far as their  faith and purity          
permitted1 has been preserved by ,israel
 through all  the generations of the    
past4 ,and from ,israel the traditions  
of ,god's  existence have spread        
throughout the world2 so that we find   
traces of  this ancient knowledge even  
in the most fanciful and perverted      
mythologies of heathen nations4      #ef
 ,exo4 iii1 #d2 xix1 #ah2 ,numb4 xii1   
#e4      #eg ,numb4 xii1 #h2 see also   
,pearl of ,great ,price1 ,moses i1 #a-b4
      #eh ,exo4 xix1 #i1 #aa1 #ag-bj4   
#g4 ,,ii4 ,human ,reason1 operating upon
 observations of the things of  nature1 
strongly declares the existence of ,god4
 ,the mind1 already  imbued with the    

historical truths of the ,divine        
existence and its  close relationship   
with man1 will find confirmatory        
evidence in nature  on every side2 and  
even to him who rejects the testimony of
 the past1  and assumes to set up his   
own judgment as superior to the common  
belief of ages1 the multifarious        
evidences of design in nature appeal4   
,every observer must be impressed by the
 proofs of order and system  among      
created things1 and by the absence of   
superfluities in nature4  ,he notes the 
regular succession of day and night     
providing alternate  periods of work and
 rest for man1 animals1 and vegetables2 
the  sequence of the seasons1 each with 
its longer periods of labor and         
recuperation1 the mutual dependence of  
animals and plants1 the  circulation of 
water from sea to cloud1 from cloud to  
earth again1  sustaining the fertility  
of the soil4 ,as man proceeds to the    
closer  examination of things1 he finds 
that by study and scientific            

investigation these proofs are          
multiplied many fold4 ,he may learn of  
the laws by which earth and its         
associated worlds are governed in  their
 orbits2 by which satellites are held   
subordinate to planets1 and  planets to 
suns2 he may behold the marvels of      
vegetable and animal  anatomy1 and the  
surpassing mechanism of his own body2   
and with such  appeals to his reason    
increasing at every step1 his wonder as 
to who  made all this gives place to    
inexpressible admiration for the        
,creator  whose presence and power are  
thus so forcibly proclaimed2 and the    
observer becomes a worshiper4    #h4    
,everywhere in nature is the evidence of
 cause and effect2 on  every side is the
 demonstration of means adapted to end4 
,but such  adaptations1 says a          
thoughtful writer1 indicate contrivance 
for a  given purpose1 and contrivance is
 the evidence of intelligence1 and      
intelligence is the attribute of mind1  
and the intelligent mind that  built the

 stupendous universe is ,god4#ei ,to    
admit the existence of  a designer in   
the evidence of design1 to say there    
must be a contriver  in a world of      
intelligent contrivance1 to believe in  
an adapter when  man's life is directly 
dependent upon the most perfect         
adaptations  conceivable1 is but to     
accept self-evident truths4 ,these      
axioms of  nature ought to require no   
demonstration2 the burden of proof as to
  the non-existence of a ,god ought to  
be placed upon him who questions  the   
solemn truth4 ,every house is builded by
 some man1 but he that  built all things
 is ,god4 ,so spake the ,apostle of     
old1#fj and plain  as is the truth      
expressed in these simple words1 there  
are among men a  few who profess to     
doubt the evidence of reason1 and who   
deny the  ,author of their own being4   
,strange1 is it not1 that here and there
  one1 who finds in the contrivance     
exhibited by the ant in building her    
house1 in the architecture of the       

honey-comb1 and in the myriad  instances
 of orderly instinct among the least of 
living things1 a  proof of intelligence 
from which man may learn and be wise1   
will yet  question the operation of     
intelligence in the creation of worlds  
and  in the constitution of the         
universe8#fa      #ei ,cassell's ,bible 
,dictionary1 p4 #dha4      #fj ,paul in 
,heb4 iii1 #d4      #fa ,see ,note #d4  
#i4 ,man's inborn consciousness tells   
him of his own existence2 his  ordinary 
powers of observation prove the         
existence of others of his  kind1 and of
 uncounted orders of organized beings2  
from this he  concludes that something  
must have existed always1 for had there 
been  a time of no existence1 a period  
of nothingness1 existence could never   
have begun1 for from nothing1 nothing   
can be derived4 ,the eternal  existence 
of something1 then1 is a fact beyond    
dispute2 and the  question requiring    
answer is1 what is that eternal         
something--that  existence which is     

without beginning and without end8 ,the 
skeptic may  answer1 ,nature2 matter has
 always existed1 and the universe is but
 a  manifestation of matter organized by
 forces operating upon it2  however1    
,nature is not ,god4 ,but matter is     
neither vital nor active1  nor is force 
intelligent2 yet vitality and ceaseless 
activity are  characteristic of created 
things1 and the effects of intelligence 
are  universally present4 ,true1 nature 
is not ,god2 and to mistake the one  for
 the other is to call the edifice the   
architect1 the fabric the  designer1 the
 marble the sculptor1 and the thing the 
power that made  it4 ,the system of     
nature is the manifestation of that     
order which  argues a directing         
intelligence2 and that intelligence is  
of an  eternal character1 coeval with   
existence itself4 ,nature herself is a  
declaration of a superior ,being1 whose 
will and purpose she portrays  in all   
her varied aspects4 ,beyond and above   
nature1 stands nature's  ,god4    #aj4  

,while existence is eternal1 and        
therefore to being there never  was a   
beginning1 never shall be an end1 in a  
relative sense each stage  of           
organization must have had a beginning1 
and to every phase of  existence as     
manifested in each of the countless     
orders and classes of  created things1  
there was a first1 as there will be a   
last2 though  every ending or           
consummation in nature is but the       
beginning of another  stage of          
advancement4 ,thus1 man's ingenuity has 
invented theories to  illustrate1 if not
 to explain1 a possible sequence of     
events by which  the earth has been     
brought from a state of chaos to its    
present  habitable condition2 but by    
those hypotheses1 this globe was once a 
barren ball1 on which none of the       
innumerable forms of life that now      
tenant it could have existed4 ,the      
theorist therefore must admit a         
beginning to earthly life1 and such a   
beginning is explicable only on  the    

assumption of some creative act1 or a   
contribution from outside  the earth4   
,if he admit the introduction of life   
upon the earth from  some other and     
older sphere1 he does but extend the    
limits of his  inquiry as to the        
beginning of vital existence2 for to    
explain the  origin of a rose-bush in   
our own garden by saying that it was    
transplanted as an offshoot from a      
rose-tree growing elsewhere1 is no      
answer to the question concerning the   
origin of roses4 ,science of  necessity 
assumes a beginning to vital phenomena  
on this planet1 and  admits a finite    
duration of the earth in its current    
course of  progressive change2 and in   
this respect1 the earth is a            
representative  of the heavenly bodies  
in general4 ,the eternity of existence1 
then1 is  no more positive as an        
indication of an eternal ,ruler than is 
the  endless sequence of change1 each   
stage of which has both beginning and   
end4 ,the origination of created things1

 the beginning of an organized          
universe1 is utterly inexplicable on any
 assumption of spontaneous  change in   
matter1 or of fortuitous and accidental 
operation of its  properties4    #aa4   
,human reason1 so liable to err in      
dealing with subjects of  lesser import 
even1 may not of itself lead its        
possessor to a full  knowledge of ,god2 
yet its exercise will aid him in his    
search1  strengthening and confirming   
his inherited instinct toward his       
,maker4#fb ,the fool hath said in his   
heart1 ,there is no ,god4#fc ,in  the   
scriptures1 the word fool#fd is used to 
designate a wicked man1  one who has    
forfeited his wisdom by a long course of
 wrongdoing1  bringing darkness over his
 mind in place of light1 and ignorance  
instead of knowledge4 ,by such a course1
 the mind becomes depraved and          
incapable of appreciating the finer     
arguments in nature4 ,a wilful  sinner  
grows deaf to the voice of reason in    
holy things1 and loses the  privilege of

 communing with his ,creator1 thus      
forfeiting the strongest  means of      
attaining a knowledge of ,god4      #fb 
,see ,note #e4      #fc ,psalms xiv1 #a4
      #fd ,proverbs i1 #g2 x1 #ba2 xiv1 
#i4    #ab4 ,,iii4 ,revelation gives to 
man his fullest knowledge of ,god4 ,we  
are not left wholly to the exercise of  
fallible reasoning powers1 nor  to the  
testimony of others for a knowledge of  
the ,divine ,creator2 we  may know ,him 
for ourselves4 ,instances of ,god       
manifesting ,himself to  ,his prophets  
in olden as in later times are so       
numerous as to render  impossible any   
detailed consideration here2 moreover1  
we will have  opportunity of examining  
many examples in connection with our    
study of  the ninth of the ,articles of 
,faith2 for the present1 therefore1     
brief  mention must suffice4 ,we have   
already noted1 as the foundation of many
  traditions relating to the existence  
and personality of ,god1 ,his           
revelations of ,himself to ,adam and    

other ante-diluvian patriarchs2  then to
 ,noah1 ,abraham1 ,isaac1 ,jacob1 and   
,moses4 ,an example but briefly         
mentioned in the ,jewish scriptures is  
that of ,enoch1 the father of           
,methuselah2 of him we read that he     
walked with ,god4#fe ,from the          
,writings of ,moses we learn that the   
,lord manifested ,himself with  special 
favor to this chosen seer1#ff revealing 
unto him the course  of events until the
 time of ,christ's appointed ministry in
 the flesh1  the plan of salvation      
through the sacrifice of the ,only      
,begotten1 and  the scenes that were to 
follow until the final judgment4        
#fe ,gen4 v1 #ah-bd2 see also ,jude #ad4
      #ff ,pearl of ,great ,price1      
,moses vi1 vii4    #ac4 ,of ,moses we   
read that he received a manifestation   
from ,god1 who  spoke to him from the   
midst of the burning bush in ,mount     
,horeb1  saying3 ,i am the ,god of thy  
father1 the ,god of ,abraham1 the ,god  
of  ,isaac1 and the ,god of ,jacob4 ,and

 ,moses hid his face1 for he was afraid 
to look upon ,god4#fg ,unto ,moses and  
assembled ,israel ,god appeared in  a   
cloud1 with the terrifying accompaniment
 of thunders and lightnings1  on ,sinai3
 ,and the ,lord said unto ,moses1 ,thus 
shalt thou say unto the  children of    
,israel1 ,ye have seen that ,i have     
talked with you from  heaven4#fh ,of a  
later manifestation we are told3--,then 
went up  ,moses1 and ,aaron1 ,nadab1 and
 ,abihu1 and seventy of the elders of   
,israel3 ,and they saw the ,god of      
,israel3 and there was under his feet   
as it were a paved work of a sapphire   
stone1 and as it were the body  of      
heaven in his clearness4#fi      #fg    
,exodus iii1 #f4      #fh ,ex4 xx1      
#ah-bb4      #fi ,ex4 xxiv1 #i-aj4      
#ad4 ,on through the time of ,joshua and
 the judges to the kings and  the       
prophets1 the ,lord declared ,his       
presence and ,his power4 ,isaiah saw    
the ,lord enthroned in the midst of a   
glorious company1 and cried out1  ,woe  

is me1 for ,i am undone2 because ,i am a
 man of unclean lips1 and ,i  dwell in  
the midst of a people of unclean lips1  
for mine eyes have  seen the ,king1 the 
,lord of hosts4#gj      #gj ,isa4 vi1   
#a-e4    #ae4 ,at a subsequent period1  
when ,christ emerged from the waters of 
baptism1 the voice of the ,father was   
heard declaring ,this is my  beloved    
,son1 in whom ,i am well pleased4#ga    
,and on the occasion of  our ,lord's    
transfiguration1 the same voice repeated
 this solemn and  glorious              
acknowledgment4#gb ,while ,stephen was  
suffering martyrdom at  the hands of his
 cruel and bigoted countrymen1 the      
heavens were  opened1 and he saw the    
glory of ,god1 and ,jesus standing on   
the right  hand of ,god4#gc      #ga    
,matt4 iii1 #af-ag2 ,mark i1 #aa4       
#gb ,matt4 xvii1 #a-e2 ,luke ix1 #ce4   
#gc ,acts vii1 #ed-fj4    #af4 ,the     
,book of ,mormon is replete with        
instances of communication  between ,god
 and ,his people1 mostly through vision 

and by the  ministration of angels1 but 
also through direct manifestation of the
  ,divine presence4 ,thus1 we read of a 
colony of people leaving the ,tower  of 
,babel and journeying to the western    
hemisphere1 under the  leadership of one
 who is known in the record as the      
brother of ,jared4  ,in preparing for   
the voyage across the great deep1 the   
leader prayed  that the ,lord would     
touch with ,his finger1 and thereby make
 luminous1  certain stones1 that the    
voyagers might have light in the ships4 
,in  answer to this petition1 the ,lord 
stretched forth ,his hand and touched   
the stones1 revealing ,his finger1 which
 the man was surprised to see  resembled
 the finger of a human being4 ,then the 
,lord1 pleased with the  man's faith1   
made ,himself visible to the brother of 
,jared1 and  demonstrated to him that   
man was formed literally after the image
 of  the ,creator4#gd ,to the ,nephites 
who inhabited the western continent1    
,christ revealed ,himself after ,his    

resurrection and ascension4 ,to these   
sheep of the western fold1 ,he testified
 of ,his commission received  from the  
,father2 showed the wounds in ,his      
hands1 feet1 and side1 and  ministered  
unto the believing multitudes in many   
ways4#ge      #gd ,book of ,mormon1     
,ether iii4      #ge ,book of ,mormon1  
,,iii ,nephi xi-xxviii4    #ag4 ,in the 
present dispensation1 ,god has revealed1
 and does still  reveal himself to ,his 
people4 ,we have seen how by faith and  
sincerity  of purpose ,joseph ,smith1   
while yet a youth1 won for himself a    
manifestation of ,god's presence1 being 
privileged to behold both the  ,father  
and ,christ the ,son4#gf ,his testimony 
of the existence of ,god  is not        
dependent upon tradition or studied     
deduction2 he declares to  the world    
that both the ,father and ,christ the   
,son live1 for he has  beheld their     
persons1 and has heard their voices4 ,in
 addition to the  manifestation cited1  
,joseph ,smith and his fellow servant1  

,sidney  ,rigdon1 state that on the     
#afth of ,february1 #ahcb1 they saw the 
,son of  ,god1 and conversed with ,him  
in heavenly vision4 ,in describing this 
manifestation they say3 ,and while we   
meditated upon these things1  the ,lord 
touched the eyes of our understandings1 
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 worshiping ,god and
 the ,lamb1 who worship ,him forever and
  ever4 ,and now1 after the many        
testimonies which have been given of    
,him1 this is the testimony last of all 
which we give of ,him1 that ,he  lives1 
for we saw ,him4#gg      #gf ,see page  
#i4      #gg ,doc4 and ,cov4 lxxvi1     
#aa-bd4    #ah4 ,again1 on the #crd of  
,april1 #ahcf1 in the temple at         
,kirtland1  ,ohio1 the ,lord manifested 
,himself to ,joseph ,smith and ,oliver  

,cowdery1  who say of the occasion3--,we
 saw the ,lord standing upon the        
breastwork of the pulpit before us1 and 
under ,his feet was a paved  work of    
pure gold in color like amber4 ,his eyes
 were as a flame of  fire1 the hair of  
,his head was white like the pure snow1 
,his  countenance shone above the       
brightness of the sun1 and ,his voice   
was  as the sound of the rushing of     
great waters1 even the voice of         
,jehovah1 saying1--,i am the first and  
the last2 ,i am ,he who liveth2 ,i  am  
,he who was slain2 ,i am your advocate  
with the ,father4#gh      #gh ,doc4 and 
,cov4 cx1 #a-d4    #ai4 ,these are a few
 of the testimonies establishing the    
fact of  direct revelation from ,god    
unto men in ancient and modern times4   
,the  privilege of communing with our   
,maker is restricted to none2 true      
faith1 sincerity of purpose1 and purity 
of soul will win1 for every  one who    
seeks the boon1 the blessing of ,god's  
favor and the light of  ,his presence4  

#bj4 ,the ,godhead3 ,the                
,trinity4--,three personages composing  
the great  presiding council of the     
universe have revealed themselves to    
man3 7#a7  ,god the ,eternal ,father2   
7#b7 ,his ,son1 ,jesus ,christ2 and 7#c7
 the ,holy  ,ghost4 ,that these three   
are separate individuals1 physically    
distinct  from each other1 is very      
plainly proved by the accepted records  
of  the divine dealings with man4 ,on   
the occasion of the ,savior's baptism   
before cited1 ,john recognized the sign 
of the ,holy ,ghost2 he saw  before him 
in a tabernacle of flesh the ,christ1   
upon whom he had  performed the holy    
ordinance2 and he heard the voice of the
  ,father4#gi ,the three personages of  
the ,godhead were present1  manifesting 
themselves each in a different way1 and 
each distinct from  the others4 ,the    
,savior promised ,his disciples that the
 ,comforter1#hj  which is the ,holy     
,ghost1 should be sent unto them by ,his
 ,father2 here  again are the three     

members of the ,godhead distinctly      
referred to4  ,stephen1 at the time of  
his martyrdom1 was blessed with the     
power of  heavenly vision1 and he saw   
,jesus standing on the right hand of    
,god4#ha ,joseph ,smith1 while calling  
upon the ,lord in fervent prayer  for   
wisdom to guide him in his religious    
professions1 saw the ,father  and the   
,son1 standing in the midst of light    
which shamed the  brightness of the sun2
 one of these declared of the other1    
,this is my  beloved ,son1 hear ,him4#hb
 ,each of the members of the ,trinity is
  called ,god1#hc together they         
constitute the ,godhead4      #gi ,matt4
 iii1 #af-ag2 ,mark i1 #i-aa2 ,luke iii1
 #ba-bb4      #hj ,john xiv1 #bf2 xv1   
#bf4      #ha ,acts vii1 #ee-ef4        
#hb ,see page #i4      #hc ,i ,cor4     
viii1 #f2 ,john i1 #a-ad2 ,matthew iv1  
#aj2 ,i ,tim4 iii1 #af2    ,i ,john v1  
#g2 ,mosiah xv1 #a1 #b4    #ba4 ,unity  
of the ,godhead4#hd--,the ,godhead is a 
type of unity in the  attributes1       

powers1 and purposes of its members4    
,jesus1 while on  earth#he and in       
manifesting ,himself to ,his ,nephite   
servants1#hf has  repeatedly testified  
of the unity existing between ,himself  
and the  ,father1 and between them both 
and the ,holy ,ghost4 ,by some this has 
been construed to mean that the ,father1
 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,ghost  are one
 in substance and in person1 that the   
names in reality  represent the same    
individual under different aspects4 ,a  
single  reference to prove the error of 
this view may suffice3--,immediately    
before ,his betrayal1 ,christ prayed for
 ,his disciples1 the ,twelve1 and  other
 converts1 that they should be preserved
 in unity1#hg that they  all may be one 
as the ,father and the ,son are one4 ,it
 is absurd to  think that ,christ       
desired ,his followers to lose their    
individuality  and become one person1   
even if a change so directly opposed to 
the  laws of nature were possible4      
,christ desired that all should be      

united  in heart1 and spirit1 and       
purpose2 for such is the unity between  
,his  ,father and ,himself1 and between 
themselves and the ,holy ,ghost4        
#hd ,see ,note #aa4      #he ,john x1   
#cj1 #ch2 xvii1 #aa1 #bb4      #hf ,,iii
 ,nephi xi1 #bg1 #cf2 xxviii1 #aj2 see  
also ,alma xi1 #dd4      #hg ,john xvii1
 #aa-ba4    #bb4 ,this unity is a type  
of completeness2 the mind of any one    
member  of the ,trinity is the mind of  
the others2 seeing as each of them does 
with the eye of purity and perfection1  
they see and understand alike2  under   
similar conditions and circumstances    
each would act in the same  way1 guided 
by the same principles of unerring      
justice and equity4 ,the  one-ness of   
the ,godhead1 to which the scriptures so
 abundantly  testify1 implies no        
mystical union of substance1 nor any    
unnatural and  therefore impossible     
blending of personality2 ,father1 ,son1 
and ,holy  ,ghost are as distinct in    
their persons and individualities as are

 any  three personages in the flesh4    
,yet their unity of purpose and         
operation is such as to make their      
edicts one1 and their will the will  of 
,god4 ,to see one is to see all2        
therefore said ,christ when  importuned 
by ,philip to show them the ,father3    
,have ,i been so long  time with you1   
and yet hast thou not known me1 ,philip8
 he that hath  seen me hath seen the    
,father2 and how sayest thou then1 ,shew
 us the  ,father8 ,believest thou not   
that ,i am in the ,father1 and the      
,father in  me8 the words that ,i speak 
unto you ,i speak not of myself3 but the
  ,father that dwelleth in me1 he doeth 
the works4 ,believe me that ,i am  in   
the ,father1 and the ,father in me4#hh  
#hh ,john xiv1 #i-aa4    #bc4           
,personality of ,each ,member of the    
,godhead4--,from the evidence  already  
presented1 it is clear that the ,father 
is a personal ,being1  possessing a     
definite form1 with bodily parts1 and   
spiritual passions4  ,jesus ,christ1 who

 was with the ,father#hi in spirit      
before coming to  dwell in the flesh1   
and through whom the worlds were        
made1#ij lived  among men as a man1 with
 all the physical characteristics of a  
human  being2 after ,his resurrection   
,he appeared in the same form2#ia in    
that form ,he ascended into heaven2#ib  
and in that form ,he has  manifested    
,himself to the ,nephites1 and to modern
 prophets4 ,now we are  assured that    
,christ was in the express image of ,his
 ,father1#ic after  which image man also
 has been created4#id ,therefore we know
 that both  the ,father and the ,son are
 in form and stature perfect men2 each  
of  them possesses a tangible body1     
infinitely pure and perfect1 and        
attended by transcendent glory1 yet a   
body of flesh and bones4#ie      #hi    
,john xvii1 #e4      #ij ,john i1 #c2   
,heb4 i1 #b2 ,eph4 iii1 #i2 ,col4 i1    
#af4      #ia ,john xx1 #ad-ae1 #ai-bj1 
#bf-bg2 xxi1 #a-ad2 ,matt1 xxviii1 #i2  
,luke xxiv1 #ae-ca1 #cf-dd4      #ib    

,acts i1 #i-aa4      #ic ,heb4 i1 #c2   
,col4 i1 #ae2 ,,ii ,cor4 iv1 #d4        
#id ,genesis i1 #bf-bg2 ,james iii1     
#h-i4      #ie ,doc4 and ,cov4 cxxx1    
#bb4    #bd4 ,the ,holy ,ghost1 called  
also ,spirit1 and ,spirit of the        
,lord1#if  ,spirit of ,god1#ig          
,comforter1#ih and ,spirit of ,truth1#ii
 is not  tabernacled in a body of flesh 
and bones1 but is a personage of        
spirit2#ajj yet we know that the ,spirit
 has manifested ,himself in  the form of
 a man4#aja ,it is by the ministrations 
of the ,spirit that  the ,father and the
 ,son operate in their dealings with    
mankind2#ajb  through ,him knowledge is 
communicated1#ajc and by ,him the       
purposes of  the ,godhead are           
achieved4#ajd ,the ,holy ,ghost is the  
witness of the  ,father and the         
,son1#aje declaring to man their        
attributes1 bearing  record of the other
 personages of the ,godhead4#ajf        
#if ,i ,nephi iv1 #f2 xi1 #h2 ,mos4     
xiii1 #e4 ,acts ii1 #d2 viii1 #bi2 x1   

#ai2 ,rom4 viii1 #aj1 #bf2 ,i ,thess4 v1
 #ai4      #ig ,matt1 iii1 #af2 xii1    
#bh2 ,i ,nephi xiii1 #ab4      #ih ,john
 xiv1 #af4      #ii ,john xv1 #bf2 xvi1 
#ac4      #ajj ,doc4 and ,cov4 cxxx1    
#bb4      #aja ,i ,nephi xi1 #aa4       
#ajb ,neh4 ix1 #cj2 ,isa4 xlii1 #a2     
,acts x1 #ai2 ,alma xii1 #c2 ,doc4 and  
,cov4 cv1 #cf2 xcvii1 #a4      #ajc     
,john xvi1 #ac2 ,i ,nephi x1 #ai2 ,doc4 
and ,cov4 xxxv1 #ac2 #a1 #aj4      #ajd 
,gen4 i1 #b2 ,job xxvi1 #ac2 ,psalms    
civ1 #cj2 ,doc4 and ,cov4 xxix1    #ca4 
#aje ,john xv1 #bf2 ,acts v1 #cb2 xx1   
#bc2 ,i ,cor4 ii1 #aa2 xii1 #c2 ,,iii   
,nephi xi1 #cb4      #ajf ,for a fuller 
treatment of the ,holy ,ghost1 ,his     
personality    and attributes1 see      
,lecture viii1 p4 #afb4    #be4 ,some of
 the ,divine ,attributes4--,god is      
,omnipresent3 ,there is  no part of     
creation1 however remote1 into which ,he
 cannot penetrate2  through the medium  
of the ,spirit the ,godhead is in direct
  communication with all things at all  

times4 ,it has been said1  therefore1   
that ,god is everywhere present at the  
same time2 but it is  unreasonable to   
suppose that the actual person of any   
one member of  the ,godhead can be in   
more than one place at one time4 ,the   
senses of  ,god are of infinite power1  
,his mind of unlimited capacity2 ,his   
eye can  penetrate all space1 ,his ear  
can comprehend every sound2 ,his powers 
of  transferring ,himself from place to 
place are not limited2 plainly1         
however1 ,his person cannot be in more  
than one place at any one time4         
,admitting the personality of ,god1 we  
are compelled to accept the fact  of    
,his materiality2 indeed1 an immaterial 
being1 under which  meaningless name    
some have sought to designate the       
condition of ,god1  cannot exist1 for   
the very expression is a contradiction  
in terms4 ,if  ,god possesses a form1   
that form is of necessity of definite   
proportions and therefore of limited    
extension in space4 ,it is  therefore   

impossible for ,him to occupy at one    
time more than one space  of such       
limits2 and it is not surprising        
therefore to learn from the  scriptures 
that ,he moves from place to place4     
,thus we read in  connection with the   
account of the ,tower of ,babel1 ,and   
the ,lord came  down to see the city and
 the tower4#ajg ,again1 ,god appeared to
  ,abraham1 and having declared ,himself
 to be the ,almighty ,god1 ,he  talked  
with the patriarch1 and established a   
covenant with him2 then  we read ,and   
,he left off talking with him1 and ,god 
went up from  ,abraham4#ajh      #ajg   
,gen4 xi1 #e4      #ajh ,gen4 xvii1 #a1 
#bb4    #bf4 ,god is ,omniscient4--,by  
,him matter has been organized and      
energy directed4 ,he is therefore the   
,creator of all things that are         
created2 and ,known unto ,god are all   
his works from the beginning of  the    
world4#aji ,his power and ,his wisdom   
are alike incomprehensible  to man1 for 
they are infinite4 ,being ,himself      

eternal and perfect1 ,his  knowledge    
cannot be otherwise than infinite4 ,to  
comprehend ,himself1 an  infinite       
,being1 ,he must possess an infinite    
mind4 ,through the agency  of angels and
 ministering servants1 ,he is in        
continuous communication  with all parts
 of creation1 and may personally visit  
as ,he may  determine4      #aji ,acts  
xv1 #ah2 see also ,pearl of ,great      
,price3 ,moses i1 #f1 #ce2    ,i ,nephi 
ix1 #f4    #bg4 ,god is                 
,omnipotent4--,he is properly called the
 ,almighty4 ,man  can discern proofs of 
the ,divine omnipotence on every side1  
in the  forces that control the elements
 of earth1 and that guide the orbs of   
heaven in their prescribed courses2 all 
are working together for the  common    
good4 ,there can be no limits to the    
powers of ,god2 whatever ,his  wisdom   
indicates as fit to be done ,he can and 
will do4 ,the means  through which ,he  
operates may not be of infinite capacity
 in  themselves2 but they are directed  

by an infinite power4 ,a rational       
conception of ,his omnipotence is power 
to do all that ,he may will to  do4     
#bh4 ,god is kind1 benevolent1 and      
loving1 tender1 considerate1  and       
long-suffering1 bearing patiently with  
the frailties of ,his  wayward children4
 ,he is just1 yet merciful in           
judgment1#aaj showing  favor to all     
alike1 and yet combining with these     
gentler qualities a  firmness1 almost   
amounting to fierceness1 in avenging    
wrongs4#aaa ,he  is jealous#aab of ,his 
own power and the reverence paid to ,him
 by ,his  children2 that is to say1 ,he 
is zealous for the principles of truth  
and purity1 which are nowhere           
exemplified in a higher degree than in  
,his personal attributes4 ,this ,being  
is the ,author of our existence1  ,him  
we are permitted to approach as ,father4
 ,our faith will increase in  ,him as we
 learn of ,him4#aac      #aaj ,deut4 iv1
 #ca2 ,,ii ,chron4 xxx1 #i2 ,exo4 xxxiv1
 #f2 ,neh4 ix1 #ag1    #ca2 ,psalms     

cxvi1 #e2 ciii1 #h2 lxxxvi1 #ae2 ,jer4  
xxxii1 #ah2 ,exo4 xx1    #f4      #aaa  
,exo4 xx1 #e2 ,deut4 vii1 #ba2 x1 #ag2  
,psa4 vii1 #aa4      #aab ,exo4 xx1 #e2 
xxxiv1 #ad2 ,deut4 iv1 #bd2 vi1 #ad1    
#ae2 ,josh4 xxiv1    #ai1 #bj4      #aac
 ,see ,note #ab4    #bi4 ,idolatry and  
,atheism4--,from the abundant evidence  
of the  existence of ,deity1 the idea of
 which is so generally held by the      
human family1 there would seem to be    
little ground on which man could        
rationally assert and maintain a        
disbelief in ,god2 and in view of the   
many proofs of the benignant nature of  
the ,divine attributes and  disposition1
 there ought to be little tendency to   
turn aside after  false and unworthy    
objects of worship4 ,yet the history of 
the race  shows that theism1 which is   
the doctrine of belief in and acceptance
  of1 ,god as the rightful ,ruler1 is   
opposed by many varieties of            
atheism2#aad and that man is prone to   
belie his boast as a creature  of       

reason1 and to render his worship at    
idolatrous shrines4 ,atheism is         
probably a development of later times1  
whilst idolatry asserted itself  as one 
of the early sins of the race4 ,even at 
the time of ,israel's  exodus from      
,egypt1 ,god deemed it proper to command
 by statute1 ,thou  shalt have no other 
gods before me2#aae yet even while ,he  
wrote  those words on the stony tablets1
 ,his people were bowing before the     
golden calf which they had fashioned    
after the pattern of the ,egyptian      
idol4      #aad ,see ,note #f4      #aae
 ,exo4 xx1 #c4    #cj4 ,it has been     
stated that man possesses an instinct   
for worship1  that he craves and will   
find some object of adoration4 ,when man
 fell  into the darkness of continued   
transgression1 and forgot the ,author of
  his being1 and the ,god of his        
fathers1 he sought for other deities4   
,some among men came to regard the sun  
as the type of the supreme1 and  before 
that luminary they prostrated themselves

 in supplication4  ,others selected for 
adoration earthly phenomena2 they       
marvelled over  the mystery of fire1    
and1 recognizing the beneficent effects 
of that  phenomenon1 they worshiped the 
flame4 ,some saw1 or thought they saw1  
in water the emblem of the pure and the 
good1 and they rendered their  devotions
 by running streams4 ,others1 awed into 
reverence by the  grandeur of towering  
mountains1 repaired to these natural    
temples1 and  worshiped the altar       
instead of ,him in whose honor and by   
whose power  it had been raised4        
,another class1 more strongly imbued    
with a  reverence for the emblematic1   
sought to create for themselves         
artificial objects of adoration4 ,they  
made images and worshiped them2  they   
hewed uncouth figures from tree trunks1 
and chiseled strange  forms in stone1   
and to these they bowed4#aaf            
,nations1 ignorant of ,god1             
,contrive a wooden one4    #ca4         
,idolatrous practices in some of their  

phases came to be  associated with rites
 of horrible cruelties1 as in the custom
 of  sacrificing children to ,moloch1   
and1 among the ,hindoos1 to the ,ganges2
  as also in the wholesale slaughtering 
of human beings1 under ,druidical       
tyranny4 ,the gods that human-kind have 
set up for themselves are  heartless1   
pitiless1 cruel4#aag      #aaf ,see     
,note #g4      #aag ,see ,note #h4      
#cb4 ,atheism1 as before stated1 is the 
denial of the existence of  ,god2 in a  
milder form it may consist in the mere  
ignoring of ,deity4  ,but the professed 
atheist1 in common with his believing   
fellow-mortals1 is subject to man's     
universal passion for worship2  though  
he refuse to acknowledge the true and   
the living ,god1 he  consciously or     
unconsciously deifies some law1 some    
principle1 some  passion of the human   
soul1 or perchance some material        
creation2 and to  this he turns1 to     
seek1 in contemplation of the unworthy  
object1 a  semblance of the comfort     

which the believer finds in rich        
abundance  before the throne of his     
,father and ,god4 ,i doubt the existence
 of a  thorough atheist1--one who with  
the sincerity of a settled conviction   
denies in his heart the existence of an 
intelligent ,supreme ,power4 ,the  idea 
of ,god is an essential characteristic  
of the human soul4 ,the  philosopher    
recognizes the necessity of such an     
element in his  theories of being4 ,he  
may shrink from the open acknowledgment 
of a  personal ,deity1 yet he assumes   
the existence of a governing power1  of 
a great unknown1 of the unknowable1 the 
illimitable1 the  unconscious4 ,oh1 man 
of learning though not of wisdom6 why   
reject  the privileges extended to you  
by the omnipotent1 omniscient ,being to 
whom you owe your life1 yet whose name  
you will not acknowledge8 ,no  mortal   
can approach ,him while contemplating   
,his perfections and might  with aught  
but awe and speechless reverence2       
regarding ,him only as  ,creator and    

,god1 we are abashed in thought of ,him2
 but ,he has given us  the right to     
approach ,him as ,his children1 to call 
upon ,him by the  endearing name of     
,father6 ,and even the atheist feels1 in
 the more  solemn moments of his life1 a
 yearning of the soul toward a spiritual
  ,parent1 as naturally as his human    
affections turn toward the father  who  
gave him mortal life4 ,the atheism of   
to-day is but a species of  idolatry    
after all4    #cc4 ,sectarian ,view of  
the ,godhead4--,the consistent1 simple1 
and  authentic doctrine respecting the  
character and attributes of ,god1  such 
as was taught by ,christ and the        
apostles1 gave way as revelation        
ceased1 and as the darkness incident to 
the absence of authority fell  upon the 
world1 after the apostles and their     
priesthood had been  driven from the    
earth2 and in its place there appeared  
numerous  theories and dogmas of men1   
many of which are utterly               
incomprehensible  in their mysticism and

 inconsistency4 ,in the year #cbe       
,a4,d41 the  ,council of ,nice was      
convened by the emperor ,constantine1   
who sought  through this body to secure 
a declaration of ,christian belief which
  would be received as authoritative1   
and be the means of arresting the       
increasing dissension incident to the   
general disagreement regarding  the     
nature of the ,godhead1 and other       
theological subjects4 ,the ,council     
condemned some of the theories then     
current2 among them that of ,arius1     
which asserted a separate individuality 
for each member of the  ,trinity2 and   
promulgated a new code of belief known  
as the ,nicene  ,creed4 ,a statement of 
this doctrine1 supposedly as announced  
by  ,athanasius1 is as follows3--,we    
worship one ,god in trinity1 and        
trinity in unity2 neither confounding   
the persons1 nor dividing the           
substance4 ,for there is one person of  
the ,father1 another of the ,son1  and  
another of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,but the   

,godhead of the ,father1 ,son1 and      
,holy ,ghost1 is all one2 the glory     
equal1 the majesty co-eternal4 ,such  as
 the ,father is1 such is the ,son1 and  
such is the ,holy ,ghost4 ,the  ,father 
uncreate1 the ,son uncreate1 and the    
,holy ,ghost uncreate4 ,the  ,father    
incomprehensible1 the ,son              
incomprehensible1 and the ,holy ,ghost  
incomprehensible4 ,the ,father eternal1 
the ,son eternal1 and the ,holy  ,ghost 
eternal4 ,and yet there are not three   
eternals1 but one eternal4  ,as also    
there are not three incomprehensibles1  
nor three uncreated2  but one uncreated1
 and one incomprehensible4 ,so likewise 
the ,father  is almighty1 the ,son      
almighty1 and the ,holy ,ghost almighty1
 and yet  there are not three           
,almighties1 but one ,almighty4 ,so the 
,father is  ,god1 the ,son is ,god1 and 
the ,holy ,ghost is ,god1 and yet there 
are not  three ,gods1 but one ,god4 ,it 
would be difficult to conceive of a     
greater number of inconsistencies and   

contradictions1 expressed in  words as  
few4    #cd4 ,the ,church of ,england   
teaches the present orthodox view of    
,god  as follows3--,there is but one    
living and true ,god1 everlasting1      
without body1 parts1 or passions2 of    
infinite power1 wisdom1 and  goodness4  
,the immateriality of ,god as asserted  
in these declarations  of sectarian     
faith is entirely at variance with the  
scriptures1 and  absolutely contradicted
 by the revelations of ,god's person and
  attributes1 as shown by the citations 
already made4    #ce4 ,we affirm that to
 deny the materiality of ,god's person  
is to  deny ,god2 for a thing without   
parts has no whole1 and an immaterial   
body cannot exist4#aah ,the ,church of  
,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day  ,saints  
proclaims against the incomprehensible  
,god1 devoid of body1  parts1 and       
passions1 as a thing impossible of      
existence1 and asserts  its belief in   
and allegiance to the true and living   
,god of scripture  and revelation4      

#aah ,see ,note #i4         ,,notes4    
#a4 ,natural to ,believe in a           
,god4--,the great and primary truth     
'that there is a ,god' has obtained     
among men almost universally       and  
in all ages2 so that the holy           
scriptures1 which speak of ,god       in
 every page1 and which advert to the    
sentiments of mankind for       the     
period of about four thousand years1    
always assume this truth       as       
admitted4 ,in the early ages of the     
world1 indeed1 there is no              
positive evidence that speculative      
theism had any advocates2 and       if1 
at a subsequent period1 the 'fool said  
in his heart1 ,there is       no ,god1' 
the sentiment appears more prominent in 
his affections       than in his        
judgment2 and1 withal1 had so feeble an 
influence       over the minds of men1  
that the sacred writers never deemed it 
necessary to combat the error1 either by
 formal arguments1 or by       an appeal
 to miraculous operations4 ,polytheism1 

not atheism1 was       the prevailing   
sin2 and therefore the aim of inspired  
men was not       so much to prove the  
existence of one ,god1 as the           
non-existence       of others1--to      
maintain ,his authority1 to enforce ,his
 laws1 to       the exclusion of all    
rival pretenders4444         ,so clear1 
full1 and overpowering is the evidence  
of ,god's       existence1 that it has  
commanded general belief in all ages and
       countries1--the only exceptions  
being a few savage tribes of a          
most degraded type1 among whom the idea 
of ,god has faded and       disappeared 
with every vestige of civilization2 and 
a few       eccentric would-be          
philosophers who affect to doubt        
everything       which others believe1  
and question the truth of their own     
intuitions1 so that the general assent  
to the being of a ,god       might be   
added as a testimony of no small weight 
in this       argument4--,cassell's     
,bible ,dictionary2 article ,god4       

#b4 ,importance of ,belief in           
,god4--,the existence of a ,supreme     
,being is1 without doubt1 the sublimest 
conception that can enter       the     
human mind1 and1 even as a scientific   
question1 can have no       equal1 for  
it assumes to furnish the cause of      
causes1 the great       ultimate fact in
 philosophy1 the last and sublimest     
generalization of scientific truth4 ,yet
 this is the lowest demand       it     
presents for our study2 for it lies at  
the very foundation of       morality1  
virtue1 and religion2 it supports the   
social fabric1       and gives cohesion 
to all its parts2 it involves the       
momentous       question of man's       
immortality and responsibility to       
supreme       authority1 and is         
inseparably connected with his brightest
 hopes       and highest enjoyments4 ,it
 is1 indeed1 not only a fundamental     
truth1 but the grand central truth of   
all other truths4 ,all other            
truths in science1 ethics1 and religion 

radiate from this4 ,it is       the     
source from which they all flow1 the    
center to which they all       converge1
 and the one sublime proposition to     
which they all bear       witness4 ,it  
has1 therefore1 no parallel in its      
solemn grandeur       and momentous     
issues4--,the same4         #c4 ,belief 
in ,god1 ,natural and ,necessary4--,dr4 
,joseph ,le ,conte1       ,professor of 
,geology and ,natural ,history in the   
,university of       ,california1 and a 
scientist of world-wide renown1 has     
spoken as       follows3--,theism1 or a 
belief in ,god or in gods1 or in a      
supernatural agency of some kind1       
controlling the phenomena       around  
us1 is the fundamental basis and        
condition of all       religion1 and is 
therefore universal1 necessary1 and     
intuitive4 ,i       will not1 therefore1
 attempt to bring forward any proof of  
that       which lies back of all proof1
 and is already more certain than       
anything can be made by any process of  

reasoning4 ,the ground of       this    
belief lies in the very nature of man2  
it is the very       foundation and     
groundwork of reason4 ,it is this and   
this only       which gives significance
 to ,nature2 without it1 neither        
religion       nor science1 nor indeed  
human life1 would be possible4 ,for1    
observe what is the characteristic of   
man in his relation to       external   
,nature4 ,to the brute1 the phenomena of
 ,nature are       nothing but sensuous 
phenomena2 but man1 just in proportion  
as he       uses his human faculties1   
instinctively ascends from the          
phenomena to their cause4 ,this is      
inevitable by a law of our       nature1
 but the process of ascent is different 
for the cultured       and uncultured   
races4 ,the uncultured man1 when a      
phenomenon       occurs1 the cause of   
which is not immediately perceived1     
passes       by one step from the       
sensuous phenomenon to the first cause2 
while the cultured1 and especially the  

scientific man1 passes       from the   
sensuous phenomena through a chain of   
secondary causes       to the first     
cause4 ,the region of second causes1 and
 this only1       is the domain of      
science4 ,science may1 in fact1 be      
defined1 as       the study of the modes
 of operation of the first cause4 ,it is
       evident1 therefore1 that the     
recognition of second causes cannot     
preclude the idea of the existence of   
,god4444 ,thus1 ,theism is              
necessary1 intuitive1 and therefore     
universal4 ,we cannot get rid       of  
it if we would4 ,push it out1 as many   
do1 at the front door1       and it     
comes in again1 perhaps unrecognized1 at
 the back door4       ,turn it out in   
its nobler forms as revealed in         
,scripture1 and       it comes in again 
in its ignoble forms1 it may be as      
magnetism1       electricity1 or        
gravity1 or some other supposed         
efficient agent       controlling       
,nature4 ,in some form1 noble or        

ignoble1 it will       become a guest in
 the human heart4 ,i therefore repeat1  
,theism       neither requires nor      
admits of proof4 ,but in these latter   
times1       there is a strong tendency 
for ,theism to take the form of         
,pantheism1 and thereby religious belief
 is robbed of all its       power over  
the human heart4 ,it becomes necessary1 
therefore1 for       me to attempt to   
show1 not the existence indeed1 but the 
personality of ,deity4444 ,among a      
certain class of cultivated       minds1
 and especially among scientific men1   
there is a growing       sentiment1     
sometimes openly expressed1 sometimes   
only vaguely       felt1 that what we   
call ,god is only a universal1          
all-pervading       principle animating 
,nature1--a general principle of        
evolution--an       unconscious1        
impersonal life-force under which the   
whole cosmos       slowly develops4     
,now1 this form of ,theism may possibly 
satisfy       the demands of a purely   

speculative philosophy1 but cannot      
satisfy the cravings of the human       
heart4444 ,the argument for the         
personality of ,deity is derived from   
the evidences of intelligent            
contrivance and design in ,nature1 or in
 the adjustment of parts       for a    
definite1 and an intelligent purpose4   
,it is usually called       'the        
argument from design4' ,the force of    
this argument is felt       at once     
intuitively by all minds1 and its effect
 is irresistible       and overwhelming 
to every plain1 honest mind1 unplagued  
by       metaphysical                   
subtleties4--,prof4 ,joseph ,le ,conte3 
in ,religion       and ,science1 pp4    
#ab-ad4         #d4 ,god in             
,nature4--,sir ,isaac ,newton1 one of   
the most critical       of scientific   
workers1 in writing to his friend ,dr4  
,bentley in       #afib1 said in        
reference to the natural universe3 ,to  
make such a       system1 with all its  
motions1 required a ,cause which        

understood       and compared together  
the quantities of matter in the several 
bodies of the sun and planets1 and the  
gravitating powers       resulting from 
them1 the several distances of the      
primary planets       from the sun1 and 
of the secondary ones from ,saturn1     
,jupiter1 and       the earth2 and the  
velocities with which these planets     
could       revolve about those         
quantities of matter in the central     
bodies2       and to compare and adjust 
all these things together in so great a 
variety of bodies argues the ,cause to  
be not blind and       fortuitous1 but  
very well skilled in mechanics and      
geometry4         #e4 ,natural          
,indications of ,god's ,existence4--,it 
may not be1 it       is not likely1 that
 ,god can be found with microscope and  
scalpel1       with test-tube or flask1 
with goniometer or telescope2 but with  
such tools1 the student earnestly       
working1 cannot fail to       recognize 
a power beyond his vision1 yet a power  

of which the       pulses and the       
motions are unmistakable4 ,the extent of
 our solar       system once seemed to  
man more limited than it does at        
present2       and the discovery of the 
most distant of the planetary family was
       due to a recognition of an       
attractive force inexplicable except    
on the supposition of the existence of  
another planet4 ,the       astronomer1  
tracing known bodies along their orbital
 paths1 could       feel the pull1 could
 see the wire that drew them from a     
narrower       course2 he saw not       
,neptune as he piled calculations sheet 
on       sheet2 but the existence of    
that orb was clearly indicated1 and     
by heeding such indications he sought   
for it1 and it was found4       ,theory 
alone could never have revealed it1     
though theory was       incomplete1     
unsatisfactory without it2 but the      
practical search1       instigated by   
theory1 led to the great demonstration4 
,and what is       all science but      

theory compared to the practical        
influence of       prayerful reliance on
 the assistance of an omnipotent1       
omniscient       power8 ,disregard not  
the indications of your science         
work1--the       trembling of the needle
 that reveals the magnetic influence2   
the       instinct within that speaks of
 a life and a ,life-,giver1 far         
beyond human power of explanation or    
comprehension4 ,as you sit       beneath
 the canopied vault1 pondering in the   
silence of night       over the         
perturbations1 the yearnings which the  
soul cannot       ignore1 turn in the   
direction indicated by those impulses1  
and       with the penetrating1         
space-annihilating1 time-annulling glass
 of       prayer and faith1 seek the    
source of that pervading force4--,the   
,author in ,baccalaureate ,sermon1 ,utah
 ,university ,quarterly1       ,sept41  
#ahie4         #f4 ,theism2 ,atheism1   
etc4--,according to current usage1      
,theism       signifies a belief in     

,god1--the acceptance of one living and 
eternal ,being who has revealed ,himself
 to man4 ,deism implies a               
professed belief in ,god1 but denies to 
,deity the power to reveal              
,himself1 and asserts a disbelief in    
,christianity2 the term is       used in
 different senses1 prominent among which
 are3--7#a7 belief       in ,god as an  
intelligent and eternal ,being1 with a  
denial of all       providential care3  
7#b7 belief in ,god1 with denial of a   
future       state of the soul3 7#c7 as 
advocated by ,kant1 denial of a personal
       ,god1 while asserting belief in  
an infinite force1 inseparably          
associated with matter1 and operating as
 the first great cause4       ,pantheism
 regards matter and mind as one1        
embracing everything       finite and   
infinite1 and calls this universal      
existence ,god4 ,in       its           
philosophical aspect1 pantheism has     
three generic forms with                
variations3 7#a7 one-substance pantheism

 which ascribes to the       universal  
being the attributes of both mind and   
matter1 thought       and extension1 as 
in ,spinoza's system3 7#b7 materialistic
       pantheism which ascribes to it   
only the attributes of matter1 as       
in the system of ,strauss3 7#c7         
idealistic pantheism which              
ascribes to it only the existence of    
mind as in ,hegel's system4       ,in   
its doctrinal aspect1 pantheism         
comprises the worship of       nature   
and humanity founded on the doctrine    
that the entire       phenomenal        
universe1 including man and nature1 is  
the       ever-changing manifestation of
 ,god4 ,polytheism is the doctrine      
of a plurality of gods1 who are usually 
regarded as       personifications of   
forces or phenomena of nature4          
,monotheism       is the doctrine that  
there is but one ,god4 ,atheism         
signifies       disbelief in ,god1 or   
the denial of ,god's existence2 dogmatic
       atheism denies1 while negative   

atheism ignores1 the existence       of 
a ,god4 ,infidelity is sometimes used as
 synonymous with       atheism1 though  
specifically the term signifies a milder
 form of       unbelief1 manifesting    
itself in scepticism on matters         
religious1       a disbelief in the     
religion of the ,bible1 and of course a 
rejection of the doctrines of           
,christianity4 ,agnosticism holds       
that ,god is unknown and unknowable2    
that ,his existence can       neither be
 proved nor disproved2 it neither       
affirms nor denies       the existence  
of a personal ,god2 it is the doctrine  
of ,we do not       know4--,see         
,standard ,dictionary4         #g4      
,idolatrous ,practices in               
,general4--,the soul of man1 once       
abandoned to depravity1 is strongly     
prone to depart from ,god and       his 
institutions4 ,hence1 says ,burder1 have
 arisen the altars       and demons of  
heathen antiquity1 their extravagant    
fictions1 and       abominable orgies4  

,hence we find among the ,babylonians   
and       ,arabians1 the adoration of   
the heavenly bodies1 the earliest       
forms of idolatry2 among the ,canaanites
 and ,syrians1 the worship       of     
,baal1 ,tammuz1 ,magog1 and ,astarte2   
among the ,phoenicians1 the             
immolation of children to ,moloch2 among
 the ,egyptians1 divine       honors    
bestowed on animals1 birds1 insects1    
leeks1 and onions2       among the      
,persians1 religious reverence offered  
to fire2 and       among the polished   
,greeks1 the recognition in their system
 of       faith of thirty thousand gods4
 ,hence1 moreover1 we find at the       
present time1 among most ,pagan tribes1 
the deadliest       superstitions1 the  
most cruel and bloody rites1 and the    
most       shocking licentiousness and  
vice1 practiced under the name of       
religion4--,history of all ,religions1  
p4 #ab4         #h4 ,examples of        
,atrocious ,idolatry4--,the worship of  
,moloch is       generally cited as an  

example of the cruelest and most        
abhorrent       idolatry known to man4  
,moloch1 called also ,molech1 ,malcham1 
,milcom1 ,baal-melech1 etc41 was an     
,ammonite idol3 it is mentioned       in
 scripture in connection with its cruel 
rites 7,lev4 xviii1 #ba2       xx1 #b-e2
 see also ,i ,kings xi1 #e1 #g1 #cc2    
,,ii ,kings xxiii1 #aj1 #ac2       ,amos
 v1 #bf2 ,zephaniah i1 #e2 ,jeremiah    
xxxii1 #ce74 ,keil and       ,delitzsch 
describe the idol as being represented  
by a brazen       statue which was      
hollow1 and capable of being heated1 and
 formed       with a bull's head1 and   
with arms stretched out to receive the  
children to be sacrificed4 ,while the   
worship of this idol did       not      
invariably include human sacrifice1 it  
is certain that such       hideous rites
 were characteristic of this abominable 
shrine4 ,the       authors last quoted  
say3 ,from the time of ,ahaz1 children  
were       slain at ,jerusalem in the   
valley of ,ben-,hinnom1 and then        

sacrificed by being laid in the heated  
arms and burned4 7,,ii ,kings           
xxiii1 #aj2 xvi1 #c2 xvii1 #ag2 xxi1 #f2
 ,jer4 xxxii1 #ce2 ,ezek4 xvi1          
#bj1 #ba2 xx1 #ca2 compare ,psalms cvi1 
#cg1 #ch47 ,many authorities       state
 that the sacrifice of children to this 
hideous monster long       ante-dated   
the time of ,ahaz4 ,the offering of     
living victims was       probably the   
climax of enormity in connection with   
this system1       and it is said that  
,tophet1 where it was to be witnessed1  
was so       named from the beating of  
drums to drown the shrieks and groans   
of those who were burned to death4 ,the 
same place was called the       ,valley 
of ,hinnom1 and the horrible            
associations connected with it       led
 to both ,tophet and ,gehenna 7'valley  
of ,hinnom'7 being adopted       as     
names and symbols of future torment4    
,for foregoing facts1 and       others1 
see ,the ,pentateuch by ,keil and       
,delitzsch1 and       ,cassell's ,bible 

,dictionary4         ,scarcely less     
horrible were the practices of voluntary
 suicide       under the car of the idol
 ,juggernaut1 and the drowning of       
children in the sacred ,ganges as found 
among the ,hindoos4       ,according to 
,burder 7,history of all ,religions71   
the ponderous       and hideous image   
,juggernaut1 was1 on festival days1     
usually       placed on a movable tower 
resting on wheels2 and1 thus mounted1   
was drawn through the streets by        
enthusiastic worshipers4 ,as the        
car moved along1 some of the most       
zealous of the devotees threw           
themselves under the wheels and were    
crushed to death2 and such       acts   
were hailed with the acclamations of the
 multitude as the       most acceptable 
sacrifices4 ,the same author thus       
describes the       rite of             
child-sacrifice to the sacred river1 as 
formerly       practiced in             
,india3--,people in some parts of       
,india1 particularly       the          

inhabitants of ,orissa1 and of the      
eastern parts of ,bengal1               
frequently offer their children to the  
goddess ,gunga4 ,the       following    
reason is assigned for this practice3   
,when a woman has       been long       
married1 and has no children1 it is     
common for the man1       or his wife1  
or both of them1 to make a vow to the   
goddess ,gunga1       that if she will  
bestow the blessing of children upon    
them1 they       will devote the        
firstborn to her4 ,if1 after this vow1  
they have       children1 the eldest is 
nourished till a proper age1 which may  
be       three1 four1 or more years1    
according to circumstances when1 on a   
particular day1 appointed for bathing in
 any part of the river1       they take 
the child with them and offer it to the 
goddess3 the       child is encouraged  
to go farther and farther into the      
water1       till it is carried away by 
the stream1 or is pushed off by its     
inhuman parents4--,history of all       

,religions1 pp4 #gde-gdf4         ,the  
practices of ,druidism among the ancient
 ,britons furnish       another example 
of degradation in religion through the  
absence of       authoritative guidance 
and the light of revelation4 ,the       
,druids       professed a veneration for
 the oak1 and performed most of their   
distinctive ceremonies in sacred groves4
 ,human sacrifices were       offered as
 a feature of their system4 ,of their   
temples1 some1       e4g4 ,stonehenge on
 ,salisbury ,plain1 ,wiltshire1 and     
others in       ,kent1 still remain4    
,these circular enclosures1 which were  
open to       the sky1 were called      
doom-rings3 near the center of each was 
an       altar 7dolmen7 on which victims
 were sacrificed4 ,the horrible         
ceremonies included on special occasions
 the burning alive of       large       
numbers of human beings1 enclosed in    
immense cages of       wicker-work4     
#i4 ,immaterialists are                 
,atheists4--,there are two classes of   

atheists in the world4 ,one class denies
 the existence of ,god in       the most
 positive language2 the other denies his
 existence in       duration or space4  
,one says ',there is no ,god2' the other
 says       ',god is not here or there1 
any more than he exists now and         
then4' ,the infidel says ',god does not 
exist anywhere4' ,the                   
immaterialist says ',he exists nowhere4'
 ,the infidel says ',there       is no  
such substance as ,god4' ,the           
immaterialist says ',there is       such
 a substance as ,god1 but it is without 
parts4' ,the atheist       says ',there 
is no such substance as spirit4' ,the   
immaterialist       says ',a spirit1    
though he lives and acts1 occupies no   
room1 and       fills no space in the   
same way and in the same manner as      
matter1       not even so much as does  
the minutest grain of sand4' ,the       
atheist       does not seek to hide his 
infidelity2 but the immaterialist1      
whose declared belief amounts to the    

same thing as the atheist's1            
endeavors to hide his infidelity under  
the shallow covering of a       few     
words4444 ,the immaterialist is a       
religious atheist2 he only       differs
 from the other class of atheists by    
clothing an       indivisible unextended
 nothing with the powers of a ,god4 ,one
       class believes in no ,god2 the   
other believes that ,nothing is         
god and worships it as such4--,orson    
,pratt1 in pamphlet       ,absurdities  
of ,immaterialism1 p4 #aa4         #aj4 
,atheism1 a ,fatal ,belief4--,during the
 ,reign of ,terror1 the       ,french   
were declared by the ,national ,assembly
 to be a nation of       atheists2 but a
 brief experience convinced them that a 
nation of       atheists could not long 
exist4 ,robespierre then 'proclaimed in 
the convention1 that belief in the      
existence of ,god was necessary       to
 those principles of virtue and morality
 upon which the       republic was      
founded2 and on the #gth of ,may1 the   

national       representatives1 who had 
so lately prostrated themselves before  
the ,goddess of ,reason1 voted by       
acclamation that the ,french            
people acknowledged the existence of the
 ,supreme ,being1 and the               
immortality of the soul4'--,students'   
,france1 xxvii1 #f2 quoted       by     
,rev4 ,charles ,e4 ,little1 in          
,historical ,lights1 pp4 #bhj-bha4      
#aa4 ,the ,trinity4--',mormonism'       
affirms its unqualified belief       in 
the ,godhead as the ,holy ,trinity1     
comprising ,father1 ,son1 and           
,holy ,ghost2 each of the three a       
separate and individual       personage2
 the ,father and the ,son each a        
personage of spirit and       of        
immortalized body2 the ,holy ,ghost a   
personage of spirit4 ,the       unity of
 the ,godhead is accepted in the literal
 fulness of       scriptural            
declaration--that the ,three are one in 
purpose1 plan1       and method2 alike  
in all their ,godly attributes2 one in  

their       ,divine omniscience and     
omnipotence2 yet as separate and        
distinct       in their personality as  
are any three inhabitants of earth4     
',mormonism' claims that scripture      
passages declaring the oneness       of 
the ,trinity admit of this              
interpretation2 that such indeed is     
the natural interpretation1 and that the
 conception is in accord       with     
reason4--,the ,philosophy of ,mormonism1
 by ,the ,author3       ,improvement    
,era1 vol4 iv1 p4 #dfc4         #ab4    
,the ,father and the ,son4--,in the     
treatment of the       ,personality of  
,each ,member of the ,godhead 7p4 #da7  
and ,divine       ,attributes 7p4 #db7  
no attempt has been made to segregate   
the       references made to ,the       
,father and to ,the ,son4 ,it is to be  
remembered that the ,personage most     
generally designated in the       ,old  
,testament as ,god or the ,,lord1 is ,he
 who in the mortal state       was known
 as ,jesus ,christ1 and in the          

antemortal state as       ,jehovah4 ,see
 the author's work1 ,jesus the ,christ1 
chap4 iv4       ,that ,jesus ,christ or 
,jehovah is designated in certain       
scriptures       as the ,father in no   
wise justifies an assumption of identity
       between ,him and ,his ,father1   
,elohim4 ,this matter has been          
explained in a publication dated ,june  
#cj1 #aiaf1 entitled ,the       ,father 
and ,the ,son2 a ,doctrinal ,exposition 
by the ,first       ,presidency and the 
,twelve4 ,this appeared in ,improvement 
,era1       ,august1 #aiaf1 and in a    
pamphlet of earlier issue4 ,excerpts    
therefrom follow3 ,the term ',father' as
 applied to ,deity occurs       in      
sacred writ with plainly different      
meanings4 ,each of the four             
significations specified in the         
following treatment should be           
carefully segregated4         #a4       
',father' as ,literal ,parent4444 ,jesus
 ,christ is the ,son of       ,elohim   
both as spiritual and bodily offspring2 

that is to say1       ,elohim is        
literally the ,father of the spirit of  
,jesus ,christ and       also of the    
body in which ,jesus ,christ performed  
,his mission in       the flesh4444     
#b4 ',father' as ,creator4 ,a second    
scriptural meaning of       ',father' is
 that of ,creator1 e4g4 in passages     
referring to any       one of the       
,godhead as ',the ,father of the heavens
 and of the       earth4'444 ,with this 
meaning1 as the context shows in every  
case1       ,jehovah1 who is ,jesus     
,christ the ,son of ,elohim1 is called  
'the       ,father4'444         #c4     
,jesus ,christ the ',father' of those   
who abide in ,his       ,gospel4 ,see   
,doc4 and ,cov4 xxxiv1 #a-c2 xxxv1 #a1  
#b2 xxxix1 #a-d2       ,mosiah xv1      
#aj-ac4         #d4 ,jesus ,christ the  
',father' by ,divine ,investiture of    
,authority4 ,see ,john x4 #cj2 xvii1    
#aa1 #bb2 compare xiv4 #bh2 see         
further v1 #dc2 x1 #bf2 ,,iii ,nephi xx1
 #ce2 xxviii1 #aj2 and ,doc4 and        

,cov4 #a1 #dc4          ,,lecture ,,iii4
    ,,transgression ,,and ,,the ,,fall4 
,article #b4--,we believe that men will 
be punished for their own       sins1   
and not for ,adam's transgression4      
,,transgression ,,and ,,its ,,results4  
#a4 ,man's ,free ,agency4--,the ,church 
holds and teaches as a strictly         
scriptural doctrine1 that man has       
inherited among the inalienable  rights 
conferred upon him by his divine        
,father1 absolute freedom to  choose the
 good or the evil in life as he may     
elect4 ,this right cannot  be guarded   
with more jealous care than is bestowed 
upon it by ,god  ,himself2 for in all   
,his dealings with man1 ,he has left the
 mortal  creature free to choose and to 
act1 with no semblance of compulsion or 
restraint1 beyond the influences of     
paternal counsel and loving             
direction4#aai ,true1 ,he has given     
commandments1 and has established       
statutes1 with promises of blessings for
 compliance and dire penalties  for     

infraction2 but in the choice of these1 
,god's children are  untrammeled4 ,in   
this respect1 man is no less free than  
are the angels  and the ,gods1 except as
 he has fettered himself with the bonds 
of sin1  and forfeited his power of will
 and force of soul4 ,the individual has 
as full a measure of liberty to violate 
the laws of health1 the  requirements of
 nature1 and the commandments of ,god in
 matters both  temporal and spiritual1  
as he has to obey all such2 in the one  
case he  brings upon himself the sure   
penalties that belong to the broken law2
  as in the other he inherits the       
specific blessings and the added        
freedom that attend a law-abiding life4 
,obedience to law is the habit  of the  
free man2 'tis the transgressor who     
fears the law1 for he  brings upon      
himself deprivation and restraint1 not  
because of the law1  which would have   
protected him in his freedom1 but       
because of his  antagonism to law4      
#aai ,see ,note #a4    #b4 ,the         

predominant attribute of justice1       
recognized as part of the  ,divine      
nature1 forbids the thought that man    
should receive promises of  reward for  
righteousness1 and threats of punishment
 for evil deeds1 if  he possessed no    
power of independent action4 ,it is no  
more a part of  ,god's plan to compel   
men to work righteousness1 than it is   
,his purpose  to permit evil powers to  
force ,his children into sin4 ,in the   
days of  ,eden1 the first man had placed
 before him commandment and law1#abj    
with an explanation of the penalty which
 would follow a violation of  that law4 
,no law could have been given him in    
righteousness had he not  been free to  
act for himself4 ,nevertheless thou     
mayest choose for  thyself1 for it is   
given unto thee1 but remember that ,i   
forbid  it1#aba said the ,lord ,god to  
,adam4 ,concerning ,his dealings with   
the  first patriarch of the race1 ,god  
has declared in this day1 ,behold1 ,i   
gave unto him that he should be an agent

 unto himself4#abb      #abj ,genesis   
ii1 #ag2 ,pearl of ,great ,price1 ,moses
 ii1 #bg-bi2 iii1    #ae-ag4      #aba  
,pearl of ,great ,price1 ,moses iii1    
#ag4      #abb ,doctrine and ,covenants1
 xxix1 #ce4    #c4 ,when the brothers   
,cain and ,abel brought their sacrifices
 before  the ,lord1 the elder one became
 angry because his offering was         
rejected2 then the ,lord reasoned with  
,cain1 and endeavored to teach  him that
 he must expect results of his actions  
to follow in kind1 good  or evil1 as he 
might elect3--,if thou doest well1 shalt
 thou not be  accepted8 and if thou     
doest not well1 sin lieth at the        
door4#abc      #abc ,genesis iv1 #g4    
#d4 ,a knowledge of good and evil is    
essential to the advancement  which ,god
 has made possible for ,his children to 
achieve2 this  knowledge can be best    
gained by actual experience1 with the   
contrasts  of good and its opposite     
before the eyes2 therefore has man been 
placed upon the earth subject to the    

influence of good and wicked  powers1   
with a knowledge of the conditions      
surrounding him1 and the  heaven-born   
right to choose for himself4 ,the words 
of the prophet1  ,lehi1 are particularly
 explicit3 ,wherefore1 the ,lord ,god   
gave unto  man that he should act for   
himself4 ,wherefore1 man could not act  
for  himself1 save it should be that he 
was enticed by the one or the  other4444
 ,wherefore1 men are free according to  
the flesh2 and all  things are given    
them which are expedient unto man4 ,and 
they are free  to choose liberty and    
eternal life1 through the great         
mediation of all  men1 or to choose     
captivity and death1 according to the   
captivity and  power of the devil2 for  
he seeketh that all men might be        
miserable  like unto himself4#abd       
#abd ,,ii ,nephi ii1 #af and #bg2 x1    
#bc4 ,see also ,alma iii1 #bf2 xii1     
#ca2 xxix1 #d1 #e2 xxx1 #i2 ,hel4 xiv1  
#cj4    #e4 ,alma1 another ,nephite     
prophet1 in speaking of those who had   

died1  said they had gone that they     
might reap their rewards1 according to  
their works1 whether they were good or  
whether they were bad1 to reap  eternal 
happiness or eternal misery1 according  
to the spirit which  they listed to     
obey1 whether it be a good spirit or a  
bad one2 ,for  every man receiveth wages
 of him whom he listeth to obey1 and    
this  according to the words of the     
spirit of prophecy4#abe      #abe ,alma 
iii1 #bf-bg4    #f4 ,samuel1 the        
converted ,lamanite1 upon whom the      
spirit of the  prophets had fallen1     
admonished his wayward fellows in this  
wise3 ,and  now remember1 remember my   
brethren1 that whosoever perisheth1     
perisheth unto himself2 and whosoever   
doeth iniquity1 doeth it unto  himself2 
for behold1 ye are free2 ye are         
permitted to act for  yourselves2 for   
behold1 ,god hath given unto you a      
knowledge1 and ,he  hath made you free2 
,he hath given unto you that ye might   
know good  from evil1 and ,he hath given

 unto you that ye might choose life or  
death4#abf      #abf ,helaman xiv1      
#cj-ca4    #g4 ,when the plans for      
creating and peopling the earth were    
under  discussion in heaven1 ,satan     
sought to destroy the free agency of    
man1  by obtaining power to force the   
human family to do his will1 promising  
the ,father that by such means he would 
redeem all mankind1 and that  not one of
 them should be lost4#abg ,this         
proposition was rejected1  while the    
original purpose of the ,father1--to use
 persuasive  influences of wholesome    
precept and sacrificing example with the
  inhabitants of the earth1 then to     
leave them free to choose for           
themselves1 was agreed upon1 and the    
,only ,begotten ,son was chosen as  the 
chief instrument in carrying that       
purpose into effect4      #abg ,moses   
iv4 #a2 see also ,abraham iii1 #bg-bh2  
and ,jesus the    ,christ1 ch4 ii4      
#h4 ,man's ,responsibility for his      
individual acts is as complete as is    

his agency to elect for himself4 ,the   
natural result of good deeds is         
happiness2 the consequence of evil is   
misery2 these follow in every  man's    
life by inviolable laws4 ,there is a    
plan of judgment#abh  divinely          
fore-ordained1 by which every man will  
be called to answer  for his deeds2 and 
not for deeds alone but for his words   
also1 and  even for the thoughts of his 
heart4 ,but ,i say unto you1 that every 
idle word that men shall speak1 they    
shall give account thereof in the  day  
of judgment4#abi ,these are the words of
 the ,savior ,himself4 ,and  let none of
 you imagine evil in your hearts against
 his neighbor1 and  love no false oath3 
for all these are things that ,i hate1  
saith the  ,lord4#acj ,john the         
,revelator was permitted to learn in    
vision  something of the scenes         
connected with the last judgment2 he    
says3  ,and ,i saw the dead1 small and  
great1 stand before ,god2 and the books 
were opened3 and another book was       

opened1 which is the book of life2  and 
the dead were judged out of those things
 which were written in the  books1      
according to their works4 ,and the sea  
gave up the dead which  were in it2 and 
death and hell delivered up the dead    
which were in  them3 and they were      
judged every man according to their     
works4#aca      #abh ,matt4 x1 #ae2 xi1 
#bb2 ,,ii ,peter ii1 #i2 iii1 #g2 ,i    
,john iv1 #ag4      #abi ,matt4 xii1    
#cf4      #acj ,zech4 viii1 #ag4        
#aca ,rev4 xx1 #ab1 #ac4    #i4 ,the    
judgment of ,god is not always made to  
follow immediately the  acts of men2    
good deeds may not be at once rewarded1 
evil is rarely  peremptorily punished2  
and this is according to ,divine wisdom2
 were it  appointed otherwise1 the test 
of individual nature1 and the trial of  
human faith1 for which purposes this    
mortal probation was primarily          
ordained1 would be greatly lessened2 for
 the certainty of immediate  pleasure or
 pain would almost universally determine

 human acts to  secure the one and to   
avoid the other4 ,judgment1 therefore1  
is  postponed1 that every one may fully 
prove his nature1 the good man          
increasing in righteousness1 and the    
evil doer possessing opportunity  of    
repentance and reparation before the    
great and terrible day4 ,on  rare       
occasions1 speedy judgment of a temporal
 nature has been  executed1 the physical
 results of worldly blessing for        
good1#acb and  calamity for evil        
deeds#acc following swiftly upon the    
acts4 ,whether  such retribution        
entirely satisfies the claims of        
justice1 or a  further visitation of    
judgment is to take place beyond this   
world1  matters not4 ,such acts are     
exceptional in the ,divine              
administration4      #acb ,job xlii1    
#aj-ag4      #acc ,numbers xii1 #a-b2   
#aj-ae2 xv1 #cb-cf2 xvi2 xxi1 #d-f2 ,i  
,sam4    vi1 #ai2 ,,ii ,sam4 vi1 #f-g2  
,acts v1 #a-aa4    #aj4 ,it is the      
prerogative of ,jesus ,christ#acd to    

judge the  children of men1 and ,he will
 do it as ,his own purposes1 which are  
likewise the purposes of ,his ,father1  
may be best served4 ,john records  the  
words of ,christ3 ,for the ,father      
judgeth no man1 but hath  committed all 
judgment unto the ,son2 that all men    
should honor the ,son  even as they     
honor the ,father4#ace ,and ,peter1     
while expounding the  gospel to the     
devout ,gentile1 ,cornelius1 declared   
concerning ,jesus  ,christ1 that it is  
,he which was ordained of ,god to be the
 ,judge of  quick and dead4#acf ,of the 
dread fate of the wicked reserved for   
the  judgment day1 many prophets have   
borne record#acg and the presiding      
,judge of that awful tribunal has given 
in ,his own words  descriptions#ach so  
vivid and forceful1 as to leave no      
shadow of  doubt that every living soul 
will be called to acknowledge the       
record1  and to accept the results of   
his acts4 ,the ,lord's words and those  
of  ,his prophets are unequivocal1 that 

,he is no respecter of persons1#aci  and
 that any species of favor foreign to   
justice is unknown to ,him4  ,this      
judgment none but the unrepentant wicked
 need fear2 to the  righteous it is a   
time of triumph4#adj      #acd ,john v1 
#bb-bg2 ,acts x1 #db2 xvii1 #ca2 ,rom4  
ii1 #af2 ,,ii ,cor4 v1    #aj2 ,,ii     
,tim4 iv1 #a1 #h2 ,doc4 and ,cov4       
cxxxiii1 #b4      #ace ,john v1 #bb4    
#acf ,acts x1 #db4      #acg ,dan4 vii1 
#i2 ,,ii ,thess4 i1 #g1 #h2 ,,iii ,nephi
 xxvi1 #c-e2 ,doc4    and ,cov4 lxxvi1  
#ca-di2 #ajc-ajf4      #ach ,matt4 xxv1 
#ca-df2 ,doc4 and ,cov4 i1 #i-ab4       
#aci ,acts x1 #cd1 #ce2 ,rom4 ii1 #aa2  
,eph4 vi1 #i2 ,colos4 iii1 #be4         
#adj ,,ii ,tim4 iv1 #h4    #aa4         
,sin4--,what is the nature of sin8 ,to  
this question the ,apostle  ,john       
replies1 ,sin is the transgression of   
the law4#ada ,in the  original language 
of the ,bible records1 many words occur 
for which our  single term sin is used1 
all however conveying the common idea of

  opposition to the ,divine will4#adb   
,as ,god is the embodiment of purity    
and perfection1 such opposition is a    
rebellion against the principles  of    
advancement1 and an acceptance of the   
practices that lead to  degradation4    
,sin is any condition1 whether          
consisting in omission of  things       
required1 or in commission of acts      
forbidden1 which tends to  prevent or   
hinder the development of the human     
soul4 ,as a righteous  course leads to  
eternal life1 so sin tends toward the   
darkness of the  second death4 ,sin was 
introduced to the world by the          
arch-fiend  ,satan2#adc yet it is by    
,divine permission that mankind is      
brought in  contact with sin1 the       
contrast between evil and good thus     
being  learned4      #ada ,i ,john iii1 
#d4      #adb ,see ,note #b4      #adc  
,pearl of ,great ,price3 ,moses iv1 #d2 
,genesis iii4    #ab4 ,according to the 
technical definition of sin1 it consists
 in the  violation of law1 and in this  

strict sense sin may be committed       
inadvertently or in ignorance4 ,it is   
plain1 however1 from the  scriptural    
doctrine of human responsibility1 and   
the unerring justice  of ,god1 that in  
his transgressions as in his righteous  
deeds1 man will  be judged according to 
his ability to comprehend law4 ,to him  
who has  never been made acquainted with
 a higher law1 the requirements of that 
law do not apply in their fulness4 ,for 
sins committed without  knowledge1--that
 is1 for laws violated in ignorance1 a  
propitiation  has been provided in the  
atonement wrought through the sacrifice 
of  the ,savior2 and sinners of this    
class do not stand condemned4    #ac4   
,nephi1 prophesying to the ancient      
inhabitants of the western  continent1  
taught them this doctrine3--,where there
 is no law given1  there is no          
punishment2 and where there is no       
punishment1 there is no  condemnation2  
and where there is no condemnation1 the 
mercies of the  ,holy ,one of ,israel   

have claim upon them1 because of the    
atonement2 for  they are delivered by   
the power of him2 ,for the atonement    
satisfieth  the demands of his justice  
upon all those who have not the law     
given  to them1 that they are delivered 
from that awful monster1 death and  hell
 and the devil1 and the lake of fire and
 brimstone which is  endless torment2   
and they are restored to that ,god who  
gave them  breath1 which is the ,holy   
,one of ,israel4#add ,and then1 in      
contrast  with the lot of those who are 
thus pardonable1 the prophet adds3--,but
  wo unto him that has the law given2   
yea1 that has all the commandments  of  
,god1 like unto us1 and that            
transgresseth them1 and that wasteth    
the days of his probation1 for awful is 
his state6#ade ,this is in  strict      
agreement with the teachings of ,paul to
 the ,romans1 ,for as  many as have     
sinned without law shall also perish    
without law2 and as  many as have sinned
 in the law shall be judged by the      

law4#adf ,and  the word of modern       
scripture is to the same effect1 for we 
are told  through recent revelation to  
the ,church1 that among those who are to
  receive the blessings of redemption   
are they who died without  law4#adg     
,these will include the heathen nations1
 whose redemption is  promised1 with the
 added declaration that they that knew  
no law shall  have part in the first    
resurrection4#adh      #add ,,ii ,nephi 
ix1 #be-bf4      #ade ,the same1        
paragraph #bg4      #adf ,rom4 ii1 #ab4 
#adg ,doc4 and ,cov4 lxxvi1 #gb4        
#adh ,doc4 and ,cov4 xiv1 #ed4 ,see p4  
#djd1 ,note #d4    #ad4 ,punishment for 
,sin4--,as rewards for righteous deeds  
are  proportionate to deserving acts1 so
 the punishment prescribed for sin  is  
made adequate to the offence4#adi       
,punishment is inflicted upon the       
sinner1 for disciplinary and reformatory
 purposes1 and in support of  justice4  
,there is nothing of vindictiveness or  
of desire to cause  suffering in the    

,divine nature2 on the contrary1 our    
,father is  cognizant of every pang1 and
 permits such to afflict for beneficent 
purposes only4 ,god's mercy is declared 
in the retributive pains which  ,he     
allows1 as in the blessings of peace    
which issue from ,his hand4 ,it  is     
scarcely profitable to speculate as to  
the exact nature of the  spiritual      
suffering imposed as punishment for sin4
 ,comparison with  physical pain1#aej   
such as the tortures of fire1 in a      
sulphurous  lake1 serve to show that the
 human mind is incapable of             
comprehending  the depth of these dread 
penalties4 ,the sufferings entailed by  
the  awful fate of condemnation are more
 to be feared than are any possible     
inflictions of purely physical torture2 
the mind1 the spirit1 the  whole soul is
 doomed to suffer1 and the extent of the
 torment no man  knoweth4      #adi     
,doc4 and ,cov4 lxxvi1 #hb-he2 lxxxii1  
#ba2 civ1 #i2 lxiii1 #ag2    ,,ii ,nephi
 i1 #ac2 ix1 #bg2 xxviii1 #bc4      #aej

 ,doc4 and ,cov4 lxxvi1 #cf1 #dd2 ,jacob
 vi1 #aj2 ,alma xii1 #af-ag2    ,,iii   
,nephi xxvii1 #aa-ab4    #ae4 ,consider 
the word of the ,lord regarding those   
whose sin is the  unpardonable one1     
whose transgression has carried them    
beyond the  present horizon of possible 
redemption2 those who have sunk so low  
in  their wickedness as to have lost the
 power and even the desire to  attempt  
reformation4#aea ,sons of ,perdition is 
the terrible  designation by which they 
are known4 ,these are they who1 having  
learned the power of ,god1 afterward    
renounce it2 those who sin  wilfully1 in
 the light of knowledge2 those who open 
their hearts to  the ,holy ,spirit1 and 
then put the ,lord to a mockery and a   
shame by  denying ,him2 and those who   
commit murder1 wherein they shed        
innocent  blood2#aeb these are they of  
whom the ,savior has declared that it   
would be better for them had they never 
been born4#aec ,these are to  share the 
punishment of the devil and his         

angels--punishment so  terrible that the
 knowledge is withheld from all except  
those who are  consigned to this dread  
doom1 though a momentary glance at the  
awful  picture is permitted to some4#aed
 ,these sinners are the only ones  over 
whom the second death hath power1 ,yea1 
verily1 the only ones  who shall not be 
redeemed in the due time of the         
,lord4#aee      #aea ,see ,doc4 and     
,cov4 lxxvi1 #bf1 #cb1 #dc4      #aeb   
,doc4 and ,cov4 cxxxii1 #bg4      #aec  
,john xvii1 #ab2 ,,ii ,thess4 ii1 #c2   
,doc4 and ,cov4 lxxvi1 #cb4      #aed   
,doc4 and ,cov4 lxxvi1 #de-dh4      #aee
 ,doc4 and ,cov4 lxxvi1 #ch-ci4    #af4 
,the ,duration of ,punishment4--,as to  
the duration of such  punishment1 we may
 take assurance that it will be graded  
according to  the sin2 and that the     
popular interpretation of scriptural    
passages to  the effect that every      
sentence for misdeeds is interminable1  
is  entirely false4#aef ,great as is the
 effect of this life upon the           

hereafter1 and terrible as is the       
responsibility of opportunities lost    
for repentance1 ,god holds the power to 
pardon beyond the grave4 ,and  yet the  
scriptures speak of eternal and endless 
punishment4 ,any  punishment ordained of
 ,god is eternal1 for ,he is            
eternal4#aeg ,his is  a system of       
endless punishment1 for it will always  
exist as a place or  condition prepared 
for disobedient spirits2 yet the        
infliction of the  penalty will have an 
end in every case of willing repentance 
and  attempted reparation4 ,and         
repentance is not impossible in the     
spirit  world4#aeh ,yet1 as seen1 there 
are some sins so terrible that their    
consequent punishments are not made     
known to man2#aei these extreme         
penalties are reserved for the ,sons of 
,perdition4      #aef ,doc4 and ,cov4   
xix1 #f-ab2 lxxvi1 #cf1 #dd4      #aeg  
,doc4 and ,cov4 xix1 #aj-ab4      #aeh  
,i ,peter iii1 #ah-bj2 iv1 #f2 ,doc4 and
 ,cov4 lxxvi1 #gc4 ,see p4    #aai4     

#aei ,doc4 and ,cov4 lxxvi1 #dd4    #ag4
 ,the false doctrine that the punishment
 to be visited upon the  erring souls is
 endless1 that every sentence for sin is
 of  interminable duration1 must be     
regarded as one of the most pernicious  
results of unenlightened sectarianism4  
,it is but a dogma of  unauthorized and 
erring churches1 at once unscriptural1  
unreasonable1  and revolting to one who 
loves mercy and honors justice4 ,true1  
the  scriptures speak of everlasting    
burnings1 eternal damnation1 and the    
vengeance of eternal fire1#afj as       
characteristics of the judgment         
provided for the wicked2 yet in no      
instance is there justification for  the
 inference that the individual sinner   
will have to suffer the wrath  of       
offended justice forever and ever4 ,the 
punishment in any case is  sufficiently 
severe without the added and supreme    
horror of unending  continuation4       
,justice must have her due2 but when the
 uttermost  farthing is paid1 the prison

 doors shall open and the captive be    
free4 ,but the prison remains1 and the  
law prescribing punishment for  offences
 will not be repealed4      #afj ,matt4 
xviii1 #h2 xxv1 #da1 #df2 ,,ii ,thess4  
i1 #i2 ,mark iii1 #bi2    ,jude #g4     
#ah4 ,so general were the ill-effects of
 the commonly-accepted  doctrine1       
unscriptural and untrue though it was1  
regarding the endless  torment awaiting 
every sinner1 that even before the      
,church had been  formally organized in 
the present dispensation1 ,god gave a   
revelation  through the ,prophet ,joseph
 ,smith1 touching this matter1 in which 
we  read3--,and surely every man must   
repent or suffer2 for ,i1 ,god1 am      
endless3 wherefore ,i revoke not the    
judgments which ,i shall pass1 but  woes
 shall go forth1 weeping1 wailing and   
gnashing of teeth1 yea to  those who are
 found on my left hand2 nevertheless it 
is not written  that there shall be no  
end to this torment1 but it is written  
endless  torment4 ,again it is written  

eternal damnation 444 for behold1 ,i am 
endless1 and the punishment which is    
given from my hand1 is endless          
punishment1 for ,endless is my name2    
wherefore1 eternal punishment is  ,god's
 punishment4 ,endless punishment is     
,god's punishment4#afa      #afa        
,revelation given ,march1 #ahcj2 ,doc4  
and ,cov4 xix1 #d-ab4    #ai4           
,satan4--,we have had occasion to refer 
frequently to the author  of evil among 
men4 ,this is ,satan1#afb the adversary 
or opponent of  the ,lord1 the chief of 
all evil spirits1 called also the       
,devil1#afc  ,beelzebub1#afd or the     
,prince of ,devils1 ,perdition1#afe and 
,belial4#aff ,the figurative            
appellations ,dragon and ,serpent are   
applied to ,satan1 when reference is    
made to his fall4#afg ,we learn  from   
the revealed word#afh that ,satan was   
once an angel of light2 he  was then    
known as ,lucifer1 a ,son of the        
,morning1 but his uncontrolled  ambition
 prompted him to aspire to the glory and

 power of the ,father1  to secure which 
he made the unjust proposition to redeem
 the human  family by compulsion2       
failing in this purpose1 he headed an   
open  rebellion against the ,father and 
the ,son1 drawing a third of the hosts  
of heaven into his impious league4#afi  
,these rebellious spirits were  expelled
 from heaven1 and have since followed   
the impulses of their  wicked natures by
 seeking to lead human souls to their   
own condition  of darkness4 ,they are   
the ,devil and his angels4 ,the right of
 free  agency1 maintained and vindicated
 by the fateful strife in heaven1       
prevents the possibility of compulsion  
being employed in this fiendish  work of
 degradation2 but the powers of these   
malignant spirits to  tempt and persuade
 are used to their utmost limits4 ,satan
 tempted ,eve  to transgress the law of 
,god2#agj it was he who imparted the    
secret  of murder to the fratricide1    
,cain4#aga      #afb ,job i1 #f-bb2 ii1 
#a-g2 ,zech4 iii1 #a-b4      #afc ,matt4

 iv1 #e1 #h1 #aa2 ,i ,peter v1 #h4      
#afd ,matt4 xii1 #bd4      #afe ,doc4   
and ,cov4 lxxvi1 #bf4      #aff ,,ii    
,cor4 vi1 #ae4      #afg ,rev4 xii1 #i2 
xx1 #b4      #afh ,doc4 and ,cov4 lxxvi1
 #be-bg4      #afi ,doc4 and ,cov4 xxix1
 #cf-cg2 see also ,pearl of ,great      
,price3    ,moses iv1 #c-g2 ,abraham    
iii1 #bg-bh2 ,jesus the ,christ1 pp4 #h1
 #i4      #agj ,genesis iii1 #d-e1 and  
,pearl of ,great ,price3 ,moses iv1     
#f-aa4      #aga ,pearl of ,great       
,price3 ,moses v1 #bi-cc4    #bj4 ,satan
 exerts a mastery over the spirits that 
have been corrupted  by his practices2  
he is the foremost of the angels who    
were thrust  down1 and the instigator of
 the ruin of those who fall in this     
life2  he seeks to molest and hinder    
mankind in good efforts1 by tempting to 
sin2 it may be by imposing sickness1#agb
 or possibly death4 ,yet in  all these  
malignant doings1 he can go no farther  
than the  transgressions of the victim  
may enable him1 or the wisdom of ,god   

may  permit him to go1 and he may at any
 time be checked by the superior  power4
 ,indeed1 even the operations of his    
utmost malice may be turned  to the     
accomplishment of ,divine purposes4 ,the
 scriptures prove to us  that the days  
of ,satan's power are already           
numbered1#agc his doom has  been        
pronounced1 and in the ,lord's own time 
he will be completely  overcome4 ,he is 
to be bound during the millennial       
reign1#agd and  after that thousand     
years of blessed peace1 he will be      
loosed for a  little season2 then his   
defeat will be made complete1 and his   
power  over the children of ,god will be
 entirely destroyed4      #agb ,luke    
xiii1 #af2 ,job i4      #agc ,john xii1 
#ca2 xvi1 #aa4      #agd ,rev4 xx1      
#a-aj4      ,,the ,,fall4    #ba4 ,our  
,first ,parents in ,eden4#age--,the     
crowning scene of the great  drama of   
creation was the forming of man in the  
image of his spiritual  ,father1        
,god4#agf ,for the reception of the     

first man1 the ,creator had  specially  
prepared a choice region of earth1 and  
had embellished it  with natural        
beauties calculated to gladden the heart
 of its royal  possessor4 ,the ,lord    
,god planted a garden eastward in       
,eden1#agg and  there he put the man    
whom he had formed4#agh ,soon after     
man's advent  upon the earth the ,lord  
created for him a companion or          
help-meet1  declaring that it was not   
good that man should be alone1#agi      
,thus1  male and female1 ,adam and his  
wife ,eve1 were placed in the ,garden4  
,they had been given dominion over the  
fish of the sea1 and over the  fowl of  
the air1 and over every living thing    
that moveth upon the  earth4#ahj ,with  
this great power were associated certain
 special  commands1 the first of which  
in point of importance was that they be 
fruitful and multiply and replenish the 
earth1 and subdue it2 then1  that they  
refrain from eating or even touching the
 fruit of a certain  tree1 the ,tree of 

,knowledge of ,good and ,evil1 which    
grew in the midst  of the ,garden1      
though of all other fruits they were    
permitted to  freely partake4 ,the words
 of ,god concerning this command and its
  penalty are3--,and ,i1 the ,lord ,god1
 commanded the man1 saying1 of  every   
tree in the garden thou mayest freely   
eat1 but of the tree of  the knowledge  
of good and evil1 thou shalt not eat of 
it2 nevertheless  thou mayest choose for
 thyself1 for it is given unto thee1 but
  remember that ,i forbid it1 for in the
 day thou eatest thereof thou  shalt    
surely die4#aha      #age ,read         
,genesis1 chapters ii and iii2 ,pearl of
 ,great ,price3    ,moses iii1 iv3      
,abraham v1 #g-ba4      #agf ,genesis i1
 #bf2 ,pearl of ,great ,price3 ,moses   
ii1 #bg4      #agg ,see ,note #c4       
#agh ,genesis ii1 #h-i4      #agi       
,genesis ii1 #ah2 ,pearl of ,great      
,price3 ,moses iii1 #ah1 #ba-bd4        
#ahj ,genesis i1 #bh2 ,pearl of ,great  
,price3 ,moses ii1 #bh2 ,abraham    iv1 

#bh4      #aha ,pearl of ,great ,price3 
,moses iii1 #af-ag2 see also ,genesis   
ii1    #af-ag4    #bb4 ,the ,temptation 
to disobey this command soon came4      
,satan  presented himself before ,eve in
 the ,garden1 and1 speaking by the mouth
  of the serpent1 questioned her about  
the commands which ,god had given       
respecting the ,tree of ,knowledge of   
,good and ,evil4 ,eve answered that     
they were forbidden even to touch the   
fruit of that tree1 under  penalty of   
death4 ,satan then sought to beguile the
 woman1  contradicting the ,lord's      
statement1 and declaring that death     
would not  follow a violation of the    
,divine injunction2 but that1 on the    
other  hand1 by doing that which the    
,lord had forbidden1 she and her husband
  would become like unto the gods1      
knowing good and evil for themselves4   
,the woman was captivated by these      
representations2 and1 being eager to    
possess the advantages pictured by      
,satan1 she disobeyed the command of    

the ,lord1 and partook of the fruit     
forbidden4 ,she feared not evil1  for   
she knew it not4 ,then1 telling ,adam   
what she had done1 she urged  him to do 
likewise4    #bc4 ,adam found himself in
 a position that impelled him to disobey
  one of the requirements of ,god4 ,he  
and his wife had been commanded to      
multiply and replenish the earth4 ,adam 
was still immortal2 ,eve had  come under
 the penalty of mortality2 and in such  
dissimilar  conditions1 the two could   
not remain together1 and therefore could
 not  fulfill the ,divine requirement4  
,on the other hand1 ,adam would be      
disobeying another command by yielding  
to his wife's request4 ,he  deliberately
 and wisely decided to stand by the     
first and greater  commandment2 and1    
therefore1 with a full comprehension of 
the nature  of his act1 he also partook 
of the fruit that grew on the ,tree of  
,knowledge4 ,the fact that ,adam acted  
understandingly in this matter is       
affirmed by the scriptures4 ,paul1 in   

writing to ,timothy1 explained  that    
,adam was not deceived2 but the woman1  
being deceived1 was in the              
transgression4#ahb ,the prophet ,lehi1  
in expounding the scriptures to  his    
sons1 declared ,adam fell that man might
 be1 and men are that they  might have  
joy4#ahc      #ahb ,i ,timothy ii1 #ad4 
,see ,note #h4      #ahc ,,ii ,nephi ii1
 #be4    #bd4 ,the ,tree of             
,life4--,there was another tree of      
special virtues in  ,eden2 its fruit    
insured life to all who ate of it4      
,while ,adam and ,eve  lived in innocent
 immortality1 this tree had not been    
forbidden them2  the celestial fruit    
indeed was fitting food for their       
sinless state4  ,now that they had      
transgressed1 however1 now that the     
,divine decree  had issued1 fixing death
 as their lot1 it was not proper that   
the  fruit of the ,tree of ,life should 
be longer within their reach4 ,they     
were1 therefore1 expelled from the      
,garden1 and cherubim with a flaming    

sword guarded the way1 that man might   
not return in an unregenerate  state4   
,by the act of transgression1 our first 
parents acquired a  knowledge1 which in 
their condition of pristine innocence   
they had not  possessed1--the           
experimental knowledge of good and evil4
 ,the result of  the ,fall could have   
been of none but ill effect had the     
fallen ones  been immediately restored  
to a condition of immortality1 without  
repentance1 without atonement4 ,in the  
despair that followed their  realization
 of the great change that had come upon 
them1 and in the  light of the knowledge
 gained at such cost as to the virtues  
of the  fruit that grew on the ,tree of 
,life1 it would have been but natural   
for them to seek the seeming advantages 
of an immediate escape1 by  partaking of
 the celestial food4 ,it was in mercy   
that they were  deprived of the means of
 so doing4    #be4 ,the words of the    
,creator are unmistakable as to the     
necessity of  banishing ,his first      

earthly children from ,eden3--,and the  
,lord ,god  said1 ,behold1 the man is   
become as one of us1 to know good and   
evil3  and now1 lest he put forth his   
hand1 and take also of the tree of      
life1 and eat1 and live forever3        
,therefore the ,lord ,god sent him forth
  from the garden of ,eden1 to till the 
ground from whence he was taken4  ,so he
 drove out the man3 and he placed at the
 east of the garden of  ,eden cherubim1 
and a flaming sword which turned every  
way1 to keep the  way of the tree of    
life4#ahd      #ahd ,gen4 iii1 #bb-bd2  
,pearl of ,great ,price3 ,moses iv1 #ca4
    #bf4 ,alma1 the ,nephite prophet1   
comprehended the result that would  have
 followed had ,adam and his wife eaten  
of the ,tree of ,life2 he thus          
explained the matter3--,now we see that 
the man had become as ,god1  knowing    
good and evil2 and lest he should put   
forth his hand1 and take  also of the   
tree of life1 and eat and live forever1 
the ,lord ,god  placed ,cherubim and the

 flaming sword1 that he should not      
partake of  the fruit2 ,and thus we see1
 that there was a time granted unto man 
to  repent1 yea1 a probationary time1 a 
time to repent and serve ,god4 ,for     
behold1 if ,adam had put forth his hand 
immediately1 and partook of the  tree of
 life1 he would have lived forever1     
according to the word of  ,god1 having  
no space for repentance2 yea1 and also  
the word of ,god  would have been void1 
and the great plan of salvation would   
have been  frustrated4#ahe      #ahe    
,alma xlii1 #c-e4    #bg4 ,the          
,immediate ,result of the ,fall was the 
substitution of  mortality1 with all its
 attendant frailties1 for the vigor of  
the  primeval deathless state4 ,adam    
felt directly the effects of            
transgression1 in finding a barren and  
dreary earth1 with a sterile  soil1     
instead of the beauty and fruitfulness  
of ,eden4 ,in place of  pleasing and    
useful plants1 thorns and thistles      
sprang up2 and he had  to labor         

arduously under the conditions of       
physical fatigue and  suffering1 to     
cultivate the soil that he might obtain 
necessary food4  ,upon ,eve fell the    
penalty of bodily infirmity2 the pains  
and sorrows1  which since have been     
regarded as the natural lot of          
womankind1 came  upon her1 and she was  
made subject to her husband4 ,having now
 lost  their sense of former innocence1 
they became ashamed of their  nakedness1
 and the ,lord made for them garments of
 skins4 ,and upon both  the man and the 
woman was visited the penalty of        
spiritual death2 for  in that very day  
they were banished from ,eden1 and cast 
out from the  presence of the ,lord4    
,the serpent1 having served the purposes
 of  ,satan1 was made a subject of      
,divine displeasure1 being doomed to    
crawl  forever in the dust1 and to      
suffer from the enmity which it was     
decreed should be placed in the hearts  
of ,eve's children4#ahf      #ahf ,see  
,note #d4    #bh4 ,atonement was        

,provided for4--,god left not ,his now  
mortal  children without hope4 ,he gave 
other commandments to ,adam1 requiring  
him to offer sacrifices in the name of  
the ,only ,begotten ,son1 and  promising
 redemption unto him and all his        
descendants who would comply  with the  
conditions prescribed4 ,the opportunity 
of winning the  victor's reward by      
overcoming evil was explained to our    
parents1 and  they rejoiced4 ,adam said1
 ,blessed be the name of ,god1 for      
because of  my transgression my eyes are
 opened1 and in this life ,i shall have 
joy1 and again in the flesh ,i shall see
 ,god4 ,eve was glad and  declared1     
,were it not for our transgression we   
never should have had  seed1 and never  
should have known good and evil1 and the
 joy of our  redemption1 and the eternal
 life which ,god giveth unto all the    
obedient4#ahg      #ahg ,pearl of ,great
 ,price3 ,moses v #aj-aa2 see ,note #f4 
#bi4 ,the ,fall came not by             
,chance4--,it would be unreasonable to  

suppose that the transgression of ,eve  
and ,adam came as a surprise to  the    
,creator4 ,by ,his infinite             
fore-knowledge1 ,god knew what would be 
the result of ,satan's temptation to    
,eve1 and what ,adam would do under  the
 conditions4 ,and further1 it is evident
 that the ,fall was foreseen1  to be a  
means whereby man could be brought face 
to face with both good  and evil2 that  
of his own agency he might elect the one
 or the other1  and thus be prepared by 
the experiences of a mortal probation   
for the  exaltation provided in the     
glorious plan of his creation3--,for    
behold1 this is my work and my glory1 to
 bring to pass the immortality  and     
eternal life of man2#ahh thus spake the 
,lord unto ,moses4 ,it was  the purpose 
of ,god to place within the reach of the
 spirits begotten  by ,him in the       
heavens the means of individual effort1 
and the  opportunity of winning1 not    
merely redemption from death but also   
salvation and even exaltation1 with the 

powers of eternal progression  and      
increase4 ,hence1 it was necessary that 
the spiritual offspring of  ,god should 
leave the mansions of their primeval    
childhood1 and enter  the school of     
mortal experience1 meeting1 contending  
with1 and  overcoming evil1 according to
 their several degrees of faith and     
strength4 ,adam and ,eve could never    
have been the parents of a mortal       
posterity had they not themselves become
 mortal2 mortality1 as before  stated1  
was an essential element in the ,divine 
plan respecting the  earth and its      
appointed inhabitants2 and as a means of
 introducing  mortality the ,lord placed
 before the progenitors of the race a   
law1  knowing full well that            
transgression would follow4      #ahh   
,pearl of ,great ,price3 ,moses i #ci2  
see ,note #g4    #cj4 ,eve was          
fulfilling the foreseen purposes of ,god
 by the part she  took in the great     
drama of the ,fall2 yet she did not     
partake of the  forbidden fruit with    

that object in view1 but with the intent
 to  violate the ,divine command1 being 
deceived by the sophistries of the      
serpent-fiend4 ,satan also1 for that    
matter1 furthered the purposes of  the  
,creator1 in tempting ,eve2 yet his     
design was to thwart the ,lord's  plan4 
,we are definitely told that he knew not
 the mind of ,god1  wherefore he sought 
to destroy the world4#ahi ,yet1 his     
diabolical  effort1 far from being the  
initiatory step toward destruction1     
contributed to the plan of man's eternal
 exaltation4 ,adam's part in  the great 
event was essentially different from    
that of his wife2 he  was not deceived2 
on the contrary he deliberately decided 
to do as ,eve  desired1 that he might   
carry out the purposes of his ,maker    
with  respect to the race of men1 whose 
first patriarch he was ordained to  be4 
#ahi ,pearl of ,great ,price3 ,moses iv1
 #f4    #ca4 ,even the transgressions of
 man may be turned to the               
accomplishment of high purposes4 ,as    

will be shown1 the sacrifice of  ,christ
 was ordained from before the foundation
 of the world1#aij yet  ,judas who      
betrayed1 and the blood-thirsty ,jews   
who brought about the  crucifixion of   
the ,son of ,god1 are none the less     
guilty of the awful  crime4      #aij   
,see ,lecture iv1 p4 #gf4    #cb4 ,it   
has become a common practice with       
mankind to heap reproaches  upon the    
progenitors of the family1 and to       
picture the supposedly  blessed state in
 which we would be living but for the   
,fall2 whereas  our first parents are   
entitled to our deepest gratitude for   
their  legacy to posterity1--the means  
of winning glory1 exaltation1 and       
eternal lives1 on the battlefield of    
mortality4 ,but for the  opportunity    
thus given1 the spirits of ,god's       
offspring would have  remained forever  
in a state of innocent childhood2       
sinless through no  effort of their own2
 negatively saved1 not from sin1 but    
from the  opportunity of meeting sin2   

incapable of winning the honors of      
victory  because prevented from taking  
part in the battle4 ,as it is1 they are 
heirs to the birthright of ,adam's      
descendants1--mortality1 with its       
immeasurable possibilities and its      
,god-given freedom of action4 ,from     
,father ,adam we have inherited all the 
ills to which flesh is heir2 but  such  
are necessarily incident to the         
knowledge of good and evil1 by  the     
proper use of which knowledge man may   
become even as the  ,gods4#aia      #aia
 ,see ,note #e4      ,,notes4           
#a4 ,man's ,agency is ,god-given4--,the 
following is an extract from       a    
discourse delivered by ,president       
,brigham ,young1 ,july #e1 #ahee4       
7,see ,journal of ,discourses of that   
date1 and ,millennial ,star1       vol4 
xx1 p4 #dc47 ,what is the foundation of 
the rights of man8       ,the ,lord     
,almighty has organized man for the     
express purpose of       becoming an    
independent being like unto ,himself1   

and has given       him his individual  
agency4 ,man is made in the likeness of 
his       ,creator1 the great archetype 
of the human species1 who bestowed      
upon him the principles of eternity1    
planting immortality within       him1  
and leaving him at liberty to act in the
 way that seemeth       good unto       
him2--to choose or refuse for himself1  
to be a       ,latter-day ,saint or a   
,wesleyan ,methodist1 to belong to the  
,church       of ,england1 the oldest   
daughter of the ,mother ,church1 to the 
old       ,mother herself1 to her sister
 the ,greek ,church1 or to be an        
infidel and belong to no church4 ,when  
the kingdom of ,god is fully       set  
up and established on the face of the   
earth1 and takes the       pre-eminence 
over all other nations and kingdoms1 it 
will protect       the people in the    
enjoyment of all their rights1 no matter
 what       they believe1 what they     
profess1 or what they worship4          
#b4 ,the ,nature of ,sin4--,the ,english

 word sin represents a very       great 
variety of terms occurring in the       
original languages1 the       literal   
translation of which bear to one another
 a very great       similarity4 ,thus1  
in the ,old ,testament1 the following   
terms among       others occur3--setim  
7referred to in ,psalms ci1 #c71        
signifying       to deviate from the    
way2 shegagah 7,lev4 iv1 #b2 ,num4 xv1  
#bg71       to err in the way2 avon1 the
 crooked1 or perverted2 avel1       to  
turn aside4 ,in the ,new ,testament we  
find1 hemartia1 the       missing of a  
mark2 parabasis1 the transgressing of a 
line2       parakoe1 disobedience to a  
voice2 paraptoma1 falling from          
uprightness2 agnoema1 unjustifiable     
ignorance2 hettema1       giving only   
partial measure2 anomia1 non-observance 
of law2       plemmeleia1 a discord4    
,the above illustrations are taken      
mainly from ,mller and ,french4 ,in all 
these expressions1 the       predominant
 idea is that of departure from the way 

of ,god1 of       separation from ,his  
companionship by opposition to the      
,divine       requirements4 ,sin was    
introduced into the world from without2 
it       was not a natural product of   
earth4 ,the seed of disobedience was    
planted in the mind of ,eve by the      
arch-fiend3 that seed took       root2  
and much fruit1 of the nature that we1  
with unguarded       words1 call        
calamity1 is the result4 ,from these    
thorns and       thistles of mortality1 
a ,savior has been prepared to deliver  
us4         #c4 ,eden4--,in the ,hebrew 
tongue1 from which our word ,eden is    
taken1 this term signifies something    
particularly delightful1--a       place 
of pleasantness2 the place is also      
called the garden of       the ,lord4   
,one particular spot in the land of     
,eden was prepared       by the ,lord as
 a garden2 this was situated eastward in
 ,eden4 ,from       the garden1 the     
parents of the race were expelled after 
the ,fall1       though it is reasonable

 to suppose that they still dwelt in the
       land or region of ,eden4 ,we read
 that at a later date1 ,cain1 the       
first murderer1 went out from the       
presence of the ,lord1 and       dwelt  
in the land of ,nod1 on the east of     
,eden 7,gen4 iv1 #af74       ,though    
there is no uniform belief among        
,christian scholars as to       the     
geographical location of ,eden1 the     
majority claim that it was       in     
,persia2 however1 the most radical among
 the advocates of this       view fail  
to prove any marked resemblance between 
the region at       present and the     
place described in the ,bible4 ,the     
,latter-day       ,saints have more     
exact knowledge on the matter1 a        
revelation       having been given      
through ,joseph ,smith1 at ,spring      
,hill1 ,mo41 ,may       #ai1 #ahch1 in  
which that place is named by the ,lord  
,adam-ondi-,ahman1 because1 said he1 it 
is the place where ,adam       shall    
come to visit his people1 or the        

,ancient of ,days shall sit1       as   
spoken of by ,daniel the prophet 7,doc4 
and ,cov4 cxvi74 ,from       another    
revelation we learn 7,doc4 and ,cov4    
cvii1 #eb-ec7 that       three years    
before his death1 ,adam called together 
in the valley       of ,adam-ondi-,ahman
 those of his sons who had been made    
,high       ,priests1 together with the 
rest of his righteous posterity1 and    
there bestowed upon them his patriarchal
 blessings1 the event       being marked
 by special manifestations from the     
,lord 7see also       ,doc4 and ,cov4   
cxvii1 #h74 ,the ,lord has pointed out  
in this day the       exact location of 
the altar upon which ,adam offered      
sacrifices       after his expulsion    
from the ,garden 7see ,contributor1     
,vol4 vii1       page #cad74 ,there is  
no authentic record of the human race   
having       inhabited the ,eastern     
,hemisphere until after the flood4 ,the 
,western ,continent1 called now the ,new
 ,world1 comprises indeed the           

oldest inhabited regions of earth4 ,the 
west1 not the east1 is the       cradle 
of nations4         #d4 ,the ,serpent1  
as stated1 having aided the purposes of 
,satan1       received from the ,lord a 
special curse 7see ,genesis iii1 #ac1   
#ae1       and the ,pearl of ,great     
,price1 p4 #af74 ,the creature was      
doomed to       a life of degradation4  
,even from the standpoint of anatomy1   
the       serpent is a degraded type4   
,though a vertebrate1--a member of the  
highest sub-kingdom of animals1 it is   
devoid even of external       limbs1 and
 its means of locomotion are of no      
higher order than       are those of the
 worm and the caterpillar4 ,in the      
scriptures1 the       serpent is made   
the symbol of craft1 subtlety1 cunning1 
and       danger4         #e4 ,mortality
 ,essential4--,president ,john ,taylor1 
after       discussing the succession of
 events leading up to the ,fall1        
says--,thus it would appear that if any 
of the links of this       great chain  

had been broken1 it would have          
interfered with the       comprehensive 
plan of the ,almighty pertaining to the 
salvation       and eternal exaltation  
of those spirits who were ,his sons1 and
       for whom principally the world   
was made3 that they1 through            
submission to the requirements of the   
eternal principle and law               
governing those matters1 might possess  
bodies1 and those bodies       united   
with the spirits might become living    
souls1 and being the       sons of ,god1
 and made in the image of ,god1 they    
through the       atonement might be    
exalted1 by obedience to the law of the 
,gospel1 to the ,godhead4--,mediation   
and ,atonement1 p4 #ace4         #f4    
,beneficent ,results of the             
,fall4--',honor thy father and thy      
mother4' ,this was one of the ten       
special commandments given to           
,israel1 during a grand display of      
,god's power and glory on ,mount        
,sinai4 ,in the past centuries of       

darkness it appears to have lost        
its significance with the ,christian    
world4 ,they do not appear to           
realize that honor is due to the first  
parents of the human race4       ,they  
have been long taught that ,adam and    
,eve were great       transgressors1 and
 have mourned over the fact that they   
partook       of the forbidden fruit and
 brought death into the world4 ,there is
       no possibility that the fall of  
man was an accident or chance1       any
 more than was his creation4 ,if an     
accident1 then why was       ,christ    
prepared from before the foundation of  
the world as a       propitiation for   
sin1 and to open up the way for man to  
immortality8 ,christ's mediation was a  
sequence of the fall 7see       ,acts v1
 #ca74 ,without the fall there would    
have been no broken       law1 and      
therefore nothing to repent of2 and     
there could be no       forgiveness of  
sin without the atonement of ,christ4   
,the ,book of       ,mormon makes this  

subject very plain3 ',and now1 behold1  
if ,adam       had not transgressed1 he 
would not have fallen2 but he would have
       remained in the ,garden of ,eden4
 ,and all things which were             
created1 must have remained in the same 
state which they were       after they  
were created2 and they must have        
remained forever1 and       had no end4 
,and they would have had no children2   
wherefore they       would have remained
 in a state of innocence1 having no joy1
 for       they knew no misery2 doing no
 good1 for they knew no sin' 7,,ii      
,nephi ii1 #bb-bc74444 ,we1 the children
 of ,adam1 have no right to       bring 
accusations against the ,patriarch of   
the race4 ,but rather1       we should  
rejoice with them1 that through their   
fall and the       atonement of ,jesus  
,christ1 the way of eternal life has    
been       opened up to us4--,a         
,compendium of the ,doctrines of the    
,gospel3       ,f4 ,d4 ,richards and ,j4
 ,a4 ,little1 pp4 #c-d4         #g4 ,the

 ,fall ,fore-known4--',mormonism'       
accepts the doctrine of       the ,fall1
 and the account of the transgression in
 ,eden1 as set       forth in ,genesis2 
but it affirms that none save ,adam     
shall ever       have to account for    
,adam's disobedience2 that mankind in   
general       are absolutely absolved   
from the responsibility for that        
'original sin1' and that each shall     
answer for his own       transgressions 
alone4 ,that the ,fall was foreknown of 
,god1--that       it was the accepted   
means by which the necessary condition  
of       mortality should be            
inaugurated2 and that a ,redeemer was   
provided       before the world was4    
,that general salvation1 in the sense of
       redemption from the effects of   
the ,fall1 comes to all without         
their seeking it2 but that individual   
salvation or rescue from       the      
effects of personal sins is to be       
acquired by each for       himself1 by  
faith and good works through the        

redemption wrought       by ,jesus      
,christ4--,the ,philosophy of           
,mormonism3 ,the ,author2               
,improvement ,era1 ,vol4 ,,iv1 pp4      
#dfe-dff4         #h4 ,the ,fall a      
,process of ,physical ,degeneracy4--,for
 a concise       treatment of this topic
 see ,jesus the ,christ1 pp4 #ai and    
#bi4          ,,lecture ,,iv4    ,,the  
,,atonement1 ,,and ,,salvation4         
,article #c4--,we believe that through  
the atonement of ,christ1       all     
mankind may be saved1 by obedience to   
the laws and ordinances       of the    
gospel4      ,,the ,,atonement4    #a4  
,the ,atonement of ,christ is taught as 
a leading doctrine by all  sects        
professing ,christianity4 ,the          
expression is so common a one1 and  the 
essential point of its signification is 
so generally admitted1  that definitions
 may appear to be superfluous2          
nevertheless1 there is  a peculiar      
importance attached to the use of the   
word atonement1 in a  theological sense4

 ,the doctrine of the atonement         
comprises proof of  the divinity of     
,christ's earthly ministry2 and the     
vicarious nature of  ,his death1 as a   
fore-ordained and voluntary sacrifice1  
intended for  and efficacious as a      
propitiation for the sins of mankind1   
thus  becoming the means whereby        
salvation may be obtained4    #b4 ,the  
,new ,testament1 which is properly      
regarded as the scripture of  ,christ's 
mission among men1 is imbued throughout 
with the doctrine of  salvation through 
the work of atonement wrought by the    
,savior2 and yet  the word atonement1   
occurs but once in the whole record2 and
 in that  single instance1 according to 
the opinion of most biblical            
authorities1 it is confessedly misused4 
,the instance referred to is  found in  
the words of ,paul addressed to the     
saints at ,rome3--,but we  also joy in  
,god through our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1  
by whom we have now  received the       
atonement4#aib ,the marginal rendering  

gives1 instead of  atonement1           
reconciliation1 and of this word a      
related form is used in  the preceding  
verse4 ,a consistent translation1 giving
 a full  agreement between the ,english 
and the ,greek1 would make the verse    
quoted1 and that immediately preceding  
it1 read in this way3--,for if1  when we
 were enemies1 we were reconciled to    
,god by the death of his  ,son2 much    
more1 being reconciled1 we shall be     
saved by his life4 ,and  not only so1   
but we also joy in ,god through our     
,lord ,jesus ,christ1 by  whom we have  
now received the reconciliation4#aic    
,the term atonement  occurs repeatedly  
in the ,old ,testament1 and with marked 
frequency in  three of the books of the 
,pentateuch1 viz43 ,exodus1 ,leviticus1 
and  ,numbers2 and the sense in which it
 is employed is invariably that of a    
sacrifice of propitiation1 usually      
associated with the death of an         
acceptable victim1 whereby              
reconciliation was to be effected       

between  ,god and ,his creatures4       
#aib ,romans v1 #aa4      #aic ,romans  
v1 #aj-aa4    #c4 ,the structure of the 
word in its present form is suggestive  
of  this1 the true meaning2 it is       
literally at-one-ment1 denoting         
reconciliation1 or the bringing into    
agreement of those who have been        
estranged4#aid ,and such is the         
significance of the saving sacrifice  of
 the ,redeemer1 whereby ,he expiated the
 transgression of the ,fall1  through   
which came death into the world1 and    
provided ready and  efficient means for 
man's attainment of immortality through 
reconciliation with ,god4      #aid     
,standard ,dictionary1 under            
propitiation4    #d4 ,nature of the     
,atonement4--,the atonement wrought by  
,jesus ,christ  is a necessary sequence 
of the transgression of ,adam2 and1 as  
the  infinite foreknowledge of ,god made
 clear to ,him the one even before      
,adam was placed on earth1 so the       
,father's boundless mercy prepared a    

,savior for mankind before the world was
 framed4 ,through the ,fall1 ,adam  and 
,eve have entailed the conditions of    
mortality upon their  descendants2      
therefore all beings born of earthly    
parents are subject  to bodily death4   
,the sentence of banishment from the    
presence of ,god  was in the nature of a
 spiritual death2 and that penalty1     
which was  visited upon our first       
parents in the day of their             
transgression1 has  likewise followed as
 the common heritage of humanity4 ,as   
this penalty  came into the world       
through an individual act1 it would be  
manifestly  unjust to cause all to      
eternally suffer therefrom1 without a   
chance of  deliverance4 ,therefore was  
the promised sacrifice of ,jesus ,christ
  ordained as a propitiation for broken 
law1 whereby ,justice could be  fully   
satisfied1 and ,mercy be left free to   
exercise her beneficent  influence over 
the souls of mankind4#aie ,all the      
details of the  glorious plan1 by which 

the salvation of the human family is    
assured1  may not lie within the        
understanding of man2 but surely man has
  learned1 from his futile attempts to  
fathom the primary cause of the         
phenomena of nature1 that his powers of 
comprehension are limited2 and  he will 
admit1 that to deny an effect because of
 his inability to  elucidate its cause1 
would be to forfeit his claims as an    
observing  and reasoning being4         
#aie ,see ,note #a4    #e4 ,simple as is
 the plan of redemption in its general  
features1 it  is confessedly a mystery  
to the finite mind in detail4 ,president
 ,john  ,taylor has written in this     
wise3--,in some mysterious1             
incomprehensible  way1 ,jesus assumed   
the responsibility which naturally would
 have  devolved upon ,adam2 but which   
could only be accomplished through the  
mediation of ,himself2 and by taking    
upon ,himself their sorrows1  assuming  
their responsibilities1 and bearing     
their transgressions or  sins4 ,in a    

manner to us incomprehensible and       
inexplicable1 ,he bore the  weight of   
the sins of the whole world1 not only of
 ,adam1 but of his  posterity2 and in   
doing that1 opened the kingdom of       
heaven1 not only  to all believers and  
all who obeyed the law of ,god1 but to  
more than  one half of the human family 
who die before they come to years of    
maturity1 as well as to the heathen1    
who1 having died without law1  will     
through ,his mediation be resurrected   
without law1 and be judged  without law1
 and thus participate1 according to     
their capacity1 works1  and worth1 in   
the blessings of ,his atonement4#aif    
#aif ,pres4 ,john ,taylor1 ,mediation   
and ,atonement1 pp4 #adh-adi4    #f4    
,but1 however incomplete may be our     
comprehension of the scheme of          
redemption through ,christ's vicarious  
sacrifice in all its parts1 we  cannot  
reject it without becoming infidel2 for 
it stands as the  fundamental doctrine  
of all scripture1 the very essence of   

the spirit  of prophecy and revelation1 
the most prominent of all the           
declarations  of ,god unto man4    #g4  
,the ,atonement a ,vicarious            
,sacrifice4--,it is to many a matter of 
surpassing wonder that the voluntary    
sacrifice of a single being could  be   
made to operate as a means of ransom for
 the rest of mankind4 ,in  this1 as in  
other things1 the scriptures are        
explicable only by the  spirit of       
scriptural interpretation4 ,the sacred  
writings of ancient  times1 the words of
 modern prophets1 the traditions of     
mankind1 the  rites of sacrifice1 and   
even the sacrileges of heathen          
idolatries1  involve the idea of        
vicarious atonement4 ,god has never     
refused to  accept an offering made by  
one who is authorized on behalf of those
  who are in any way incapable of doing 
the required service themselves4  ,the  
scape-goat1#aig and the altar victim#aih
 of ancient ,israel1 if  offered with   
repentance and contrition1 were accepted

 by the ,lord in  mitigation of the sins
 of the people4 ,it is interesting to   
note1 that  while the ceremonies of     
sacrifice formed so large and so        
essential a  part of the ,mosaic        
requirements1 these rites long          
ante-dated the  establishment of ,israel
 as a distinct people2 for1 as already  
shown1  altar sacrifice was rendered by 
,adam4#aii ,the symbolism of the        
sacrificing of animals as a prototype of
 the great sacrifice to follow  on      
,calvary was thus instituted with the   
beginning of human history4      #aig   
,lev4 xvi1 #bj-bb4      #aih ,lev4 iv4  
#aii ,see page #gj4    #h4 ,the many    
kinds of sacrifice prescribed by the    
,mosaic law are  clearly classified     
under the headings bloody and bloodless4
 ,offerings  of the first order only1   
involving the infliction of death1 were 
acceptable in propitiation or atonement 
for sin1 and the victim had to  be      
clean1 healthy1 and without spot or     
blemish4 ,and so for the great          

sacrifice1 the effects of which were to 
be infinite1 only an innocent  subject  
could be accepted4 ,it was ,christ's    
right1 as the only sinless  ,being on   
earth1 and as the ,only ,begotten of the
 ,father1 and above all  as the ,one    
ordained to this mission in the heavens1
 to be the ,redeemer  of mankind2 and   
though the exercise of this right       
involved a  sacrifice1 the extent of    
which man cannot comprehend1 yet ,christ
 made  that sacrifice willingly and     
voluntarily4 ,to the last ,he had the   
means  of terminating the tortures of   
,his persecutors1 by a simple exercise  
of ,his powers as one of the            
,godhead4#bjj ,in some way1 though that 
way  may be inexplicable to us1 ,christ 
took upon ,himself the sins of  mankind4
 ,the means may be to our finite minds a
 mystery1 yet the  results are our      
salvation4      #bjj ,matt4 xxvi1       
#ec-ed2 ,john x1 #ag-ah4    #i4         
,something of the ,savior's agony as ,he
 groaned under this load of  guilt1     

which to ,him1 as a type of purity1 must
 have been in itself  repulsive1 ,he has
 told us through the prophet's words in 
this day3  ,for behold1 ,i1 ,god1 have  
suffered these things for all1 that they
  might not suffer if they would repent2
 but if they would not repent  they must
 suffer even as ,i1 which suffering     
caused myself1 even ,god1  the greatest 
of all1 to tremble because of pain1 and 
to bleed at every  pore1 and to suffer  
both body and spirit2 and would that ,i 
might not  drink the bitter cup1 and    
shrink3--,nevertheless1 glory be to the 
,father1 and ,i partook and finished my 
preparations unto the children  of      
men4#bja ,further instances of the      
validity of vicarious service  are found
 in the ordinances of baptism for the   
dead#bjb as taught in  apostolic and    
modern times1 and in the institution of 
other temple  ceremonies#bjc in the     
present dispensation4      #bja ,doc4   
and ,cov4 xix1 #af-ai4 ,see ,jesus the  
,christ1 pp4    #faj-fad4      #bjb ,i  

,cor4 xv1 #bi4 ,see ,lectures vi and    
vii4      #bjc ,doc4 and ,cov4 cxxvii1  
#d-i2 cxxviii4    #aj4 ,christ's        
,sacrifice was ,voluntary and           
,love-inspired4--,we have  noted in     
passing that ,christ gave ,his life     
willingly and voluntarily  for the      
redemption of mankind4 ,he offered      
,himself1 in the great  ,council of the 
,gods1 as the subject of the atoning    
sacrifice made  necessary by the        
fore-seen transgression of the first    
man2 and the  free agency shown and     
exercised in this1 the early stage of   
,his saving  mission1 was retained to   
the very last of the agonizing          
fulfillment of  the accepted plan4      
,though ,he lived on earth a man in     
every particular  that concerns us in   
our regard for ,him as an example of    
,godliness in  humanity1 yet it is to be
 remembered that1 though born of a      
mortal  mother1 he was begotten by an   
immortal ,sire2 and so had combined     
within ,his being the capacity to die1  

and the power to set death at  defiance4
 ,he gave ,his life2 it was not taken   
from ,him4 ,note the  significance of   
,his own declaration3--,therefore doth  
my ,father love  me1 because ,i lay down
 my life that ,i may take it up again4  
,no man  taketh it from me1 but ,i lay  
it down of myself4 ,i have power to lay 
it  down1 and ,i have power to take it  
again4#bjd ,on another occasion  ,jesus 
testified of ,himself in this way3--,for
 as the ,father hath life  in himself1  
so hath he given to the ,son to have    
life in himself2 and  hath given him    
authority to execute judgment also1     
because he is the  ,son of man4#bje ,and
 then amid the tragic scenes of the     
betrayal1  when one who had been a      
professed follower and friend gave ,him 
with a  traitorous kiss to ,his         
persecutors1 when ,peter1 with a        
rashness  prompted by righteous zeal1   
drew and used the sword in ,his defence1
  the ,master said3--,thinkest thou that
 ,i cannot now pray to my ,father1  and 

he shall presently give me more than    
twelve legions of angels8 ,but  how then
 shall the scriptures be fulfilled1 that
 thus it must  be8#bjf ,and on to the   
bitter end1 marked by the expiring      
though  triumphant cry ,it is finished1 
the incarnated ,god held in subjection  
within ,himself the power to thwart ,his
 murderers1 had ,he so willed4      #bjd
 ,john x1 #ag-ah4 ,see ,jesus the       
,christ1 pp4 #bb1 #bc1 #ha1 #dah4       
#bje ,john v1 #bf-bg4      #bjf ,matt4  
xxvi1 #ec-ed4    #aa4 ,the motive       
inspiring and sustaining ,him through   
all the scenes  of ,his mission1 from   
the time of ,his primeval ordination to 
the moment  of victorious consummation  
on the cross1 was two-fold2 first1 the  
desire to do ,his ,father's will1 in    
accomplishing the salvation of man2     
second1 ,his love for humanity1 of whose
 welfare and destiny ,he had  assumed   
charge4 ,far from cherishing the least  
feeling of  vindictiveness against      
those1 who1 in defiance of the laws of  

,god and  man1 put ,him to ignominious  
death1 ,he entertained for them         
compassion  to the last4 ,hear ,him in  
the hour of supreme agony1 praying      
aloud1  ,father1 forgive them1 for they 
know not what they do4#bjg ,not less  is
 the ,father's love1 as shown by ,his   
accepting the ,son's offer1 and         
permitting ,him whom ,he delighted to   
call ,his ,beloved1 to suffer as  only a
 ,god could suffer3--,for ,god so loved 
the world1 that he gave  his only       
begotten ,son1 that whosoever believeth 
in him should not  perish1 but have     
everlasting life4 ,for ,god sent not his
 ,son into the  world to condemn the    
world1 but that the world through him   
might be  saved4#bjh ,and further1 we   
hear the teaching of the apostle1 whom  
the ,savior loved so well1 ,in this was 
manifested the love of ,god  toward us1 
because that ,god sent his only begotten
 ,son into the world  that we might live
 through him4#bji      #bjg ,luke xxiii1
 #cd4      #bjh ,john iii1 #af-ag4      

#bji ,i ,john iv1 #i4 ,see ,jesus the   
,christ1 chs4 ii and iii4    #ab4 ,the  
,atonement ,fore-ordained and           
,fore-told4--,as already shown1  the    
plan of the ,father to open a way for   
the redemption of mankind1  then to     
leave all men free to exercise their own
 agency1 was adopted  by the ,council in
 heaven to the rejection of ,lucifer's  
plan of  compulsion4 ,even at that      
remote period1 ,christ was thus ordained
 as a  ,mediator for all mankind2 in    
fact1 a covenant was entered into       
between ,him and ,his ,father1 in which 
,he agreed to atone for the sins  of the
 world1 and ,he thus1 as stated1 became 
a ',lamb slain from before  the         
foundation of the world4'#baj ,the      
prophets of old1 many of whom  lived    
centuries before the time of ,christ's  
coming in the flesh1  testified of ,him 
and of the great work ,he had been      
ordained to  perform4 ,these men of ,god
 had been permitted to behold in        
prophetic  visions many of the scenes   

incident to the ,savior's earthly       
mission2  and they solemnly bore record 
of the manifestations4 ,indeed1 the     
testimony of ,christ is the spirit of   
prophecy1 and without it no  person can 
rightly claim the distinction of being a
 prophet of ,god4  ,adam's despair1 on  
being driven from ,eden1 was changed to 
joy when1  through revelation1 he       
learned of the plan of redemption to be 
wrought  by the ,son of ,god in the     
flesh4#baa ,righteous ,enoch taught the 
same  truths1 which had been declared to
 him from the heavens4#bab ,this        
testimony was borne by ,moses1#bac      
,job1#bad ,david1#bae  ,zechariah1#baf  
,isaiah1#bag and ,micah4#bah ,the same  
declaration was  made by ,john the      
,baptist1#bai the prophet of the        
,highest1 designated  by the ,savior as 
more than a prophet2 he it was who      
baptized the  ,christ1 and who witnessed
 the ,father's words associated with the
  visible sign of the ,holy ,ghost1     
concerning the mission of the ,son4     

#baj ,pres4 ,john ,taylor1 in ,mediation
 and ,atonement1 p4 #ig4      #baa ,see 
page #ga4 ,moses v1 #i-aa4--;,for       
general treatment see    ,jesus the     
,christ1 ch4 v4 ,see also ,note #f4     
#bab ,pearl of ,great ,price3 ,moses vi1
 #ea-fh4      #bac ,deut4 xviii1 #ae1   
#ag-ai4      #bad ,job xix1 #be-bg4     
#bae ,psalms ii1 #a-ab4      #baf ,zech4
 ix1 #i2 xii1 #aj2 xiii1 #f4      #bag  
,isaiah vii1 #ad2 ix1 #f-g4      #bah   
,micah v1 #b4      #bai ,matt4 iii1 #aa4
    #ac4 ,should there be any doubt as  
to the application of such  prophecies1 
we have the conclusive testimony of     
,christ that they refer  to ,himself4   
,on that memorable day1 immediately     
following ,his  resurrection1 while     
walking incognito with two of ,his      
disciples on the  road to ,emmaus1 ,he  
taught them the scriptures that had been
 written  concerning the ,son of ,god2  
,beginning at ,moses1 and all the       
prophets1  he expounded unto them in all
 the scriptures the things concerning   

himself4#bbj ,a few hours after this    
event1 the ,lord appeared to the        
,eleven at ,jerusalem4 ,he operated upon
 their minds that they might  understand
 the scriptures2 and said unto them1    
,thus it is written1 and  thus it       
behoved ,christ to suffer1#bba in this  
way testifying that ,he  was fulfilling 
a previously ordained plan4 ,peter1 one 
of the ,savior's  most intimate earthly 
associates1 refers to ,him as a ,lamb   
without  blemish and without spot1 who  
verily was fore-ordained before the     
foundation of the world4#bbb ,in his    
epistle to the ,romans1 ,paul           
characterizes ,christ as the one ,whom  
,god hath set forth to be a             
propitiation through faith in his blood1
 to declare his righteousness  for the  
remission of sins that are past4#bbc    
,these are but a few of  the biblical   
evidences of ,christ's appointment and  
fore-ordination2  both ,old and ,new    
,testament#bbd writings abound in proofs
 of the  ,messiah's great work4         

#bbj ,luke xxiv1 #bg4      #bba ,luke   
xxiv1 #de-df4 ,see ,jesus the ,christ1  
pp4 #fhe-fij4      #bbb ,i ,peter i1    
#ai-bj4      #bbc ,romans iii1 #be4     
#bbd ,see ,rom4 xvi1 #be-bf2 ,eph4 iii1 
#i-aa2 ,col4 i1 #bd-bf2 ,,ii ,tim4    i1
 #h-aj2 ,titus i1 #b-c2 ,rev4 xiii1 #h4 
#ad4 ,book of ,mormon prophets are      
characterized by their full  testimonies
 concerning the ,messiah4 ,because of   
his purity of faith1  the brother of    
,jared was permitted to behold the      
,savior of mankind1  twenty-two         
centuries prior to the meridian of time1
 and to be shown  that man was created  
after the image of the ,lord1 at the    
same time  being taught of the ,father's
 purpose that the ,son take upon        
,himself  flesh and dwell on earth4#bbe 
,note the personal declaration of the   
fore-ordained ,redeemer to this         
prophet3--,behold1 ,i am he who was     
prepared from the foundation of the     
world to redeem my people4 ,behold1  ,i 
am ,jesus ,christ4 ,i am the ,father and

 the ,son4 ,in me shall all  mankind    
have light1 and that eternally1 even    
they who shall believe on  my name2 and 
they shall become my sons and my        
daughters4#bbf      #bbe ,ether iii1    
#ac-ad2 see also xiii1 #aj-aa4      #bbf
 ,ether iii1 #ad2 read also #h-af4 ,see 
,note #ab1 p4 #ec4    #ae4 ,nephi       
records the prophecy of his father ,lehi
 concerning the  future appearing of the
 ,son in the flesh1 ,his baptism1 death1
 and  resurrection2 this prophetic      
utterance specifies the exact date of   
the  ,savior's birth1 viz41 six hundred 
years after the time of ,lehi's  exodus 
from ,jerusalem4 ,the mission of ,john  
the ,baptist is described1  and even the
 place of baptism is designated4#bbg    
,shortly after the  time of ,lehi's     
vision1 ,nephi was shown by the ,spirit 
the same things1  as also many others1  
some of which he has written1 but the   
greater  part of which he was forbidden 
to write1 as another1 the ,apostle      
,john1 had been ordained to set them    

forth in a book which should form  part 
of the ,bible4 ,but1 from his partial   
account of his vision1 we  learn that he
 saw in ,nazareth1 ,mary the ,virgin1   
first alone1 and  shortly afterward with
 a child in her arms2 the demonstrator  
of the  vision informed him that the    
infant was the ,lamb of ,god1 the ,son  
of  the ,eternal ,father4 ,then ,nephi  
beheld the ,son ministering among the   
children of men1 proclaiming the word1  
healing the sick1 and working  many     
other wondrous miracles2 he saw ,john1  
the prophet of the  wilderness1 going   
before ,him2 he beheld the ,savior      
baptized of ,john1  and the ,holy ,ghost
 descending upon ,him with the visible  
sign of the  dove4 ,then he saw and     
prophesied that twelve chosen apostles  
would  follow the ,savior in ,his       
ministry2 that the ,son would be taken  
and  judged of men1 and finally be      
slain4 ,piercing the future1 even beyond
  the time of the crucifixion1 ,nephi   
beheld the strife of the world  against 

the apostles of the ,lamb1 and the final
 triumph of ,god's  cause4#bbh      #bbg
 ,i ,nephi x1 #c-aa4      #bbh ,i ,nephi
 xi1 #ad-ce2 see also ,,ii ,nephi ii1   
#c-ba2 xxv1 #bj-bg2    xxvi1 #bd4       
#af4 ,jacob1 the brother of ,nephi1     
prophesied to his brethren that  ,christ
 would appear in the flesh among the    
,jews1 and that ,he would be  scourged  
and crucified of them4#bbi ,king        
,benjamin lifted his voice in  support  
of the same testimony1 and preached unto
 his people the  righteous condescension
 of ,god4#bcj ,so also declared         
,abinadi1#bca  ,alma1#bcb ,amulek1#bcc  
and ,samuel the ,lamanite prophet4#bcd  
,the  literal fulfillment of these      
prophecies furnishes unquestionable     
proof  of their truth4 ,the wondrous    
signs indicative of ,christ's birth#bce 
and death were all realized1#bcf and    
after ,his death and ascension  the     
,savior manifested ,himself among the   
,nephites1 as the ,father  announced    
,him to the multitude4#bcg      #bbi    

,,ii ,nephi vi1 #h-aj2 ix1 #e-f4        
#bcj ,mosiah iii1 #e-bg2 iv1 #a-h4      
#bca ,mosiah xv1 #f-i2 xvi4      #bcb   
,alma vii1 #i-ad4      #bcc ,alma xi1   
#ce-dd4      #bcd ,hela4 xiv1 #b-h4     
#bce ,hela4 xiv1 #b-e2 #ba-bg4      #bcf
 ,,iii ,nephi i1 #e-ba2 viii1 #c-be4    
#bcg ,,iii ,nephi xi1 #a-ag4 ,see ,jesus
 the ,christ1 ch4 xxxix4    #ag4 ,the   
ancient scriptures1 then1 are plain in  
declaring that ,christ  came upon the   
earth to do a work previously allotted4 
,he lived1  suffered and died1 in       
accordance with a plan which was framed 
in  righteousness for the redemption of 
the children of ,adam1 even before  the 
world was4 ,equally important and       
explicit is the word of modern          
revelation through which the ,son has   
declared ,himself as ,alpha and  ,omega1
 the beginning and the end1 man's       
,advocate with the ,father1 the         
universal ,redeemer4#bch ,let us        
consider a single citation from the     
many revelations concerning ,christ     

given in the present                    
dispensation3--,listen to the voice of  
the ,lord your ,god1 even ,alpha  and   
,omega1 the beginning and the end1 whose
 course is one eternal  round1 the same 
today as yesterday and forever4 ,i am   
,jesus ,christ1 the  ,son of ,god1 who  
was crucified for the sins of the world1
 even as many  as will believe on my    
name1 that they may become the sons of  
,god1 even  one in me as ,i am in the   
,father1 as the ,father is one in me1   
that we  may be one4#bci      #bch ,see 
,doc4 and ,cov4 vi1 #ba2 xiv1 #i2 xviii1
 #aj-ab2 xix1 #a-b1    #bd2 xxi1 #i2    
xxix1 #a2 xxxiii2 xxxiv1 #a-c2 xxxv1    
#a-b2 xxxviii1 #a-e2    xxxix1 #a-c2    
xlv1 #c-e2 xlvi1 #ac-ad2 lxxvi1 #a-d1   
#ab-ad1 #ai-bd1 #fh2    xciii1 #a-f1    
#ab-ag1 #ch4      #bci ,doc4 and ,cov4  
xxxv1 #a-b4    #ah4 ,the ,extent of the 
,atonement is infinite1 applying alike  
to all  descendants of ,adam4 ,even the 
unbeliever1 and the heathen1 and the    
child who dies before reaching the years

 of discretion1 are redeemed  by the    
,savior's self-sacrifice from all the   
consequences of the  ,fall4#bdj ,it is  
conclusively proved by the scripture    
that the  resurrection of the body is   
one of the victories achieved by ,christ
  through ,his atoning sacrifice4 ,he   
,himself proclaimed the eternal  truth1 
,i am the resurrection and the life2#bda
 and ,he among men  came first forth    
from the grave1--the first fruits of    
them that  slept4#bdb ,now1 the         
scriptures leave no room for doubt      
concerning  the fact that the           
resurrection will be universal4 ,the    
,savior announced  to his apostles the  
beginning of this work of deliverance   
from the  tomb2 hear ,his words1 ,marvel
 not at this2 for the hour is coming1 in
  the which all that are in their graves
 shall hear his voice1 and shall  come  
forth2 they that have done good unto the
 resurrection of life1  and they that   
done evil unto the resurrection of      
damnation2#bdc or1  as the latter part  

of the declaration has been rendered    
through  inspiration in the present day1
 ,they who have done good1 in the       
resurrection of the just3 and they who  
have done evil in the  resurrection of  
the unjust4#bdd      #bdj ,see ,note #b4
      #bda ,john xi1 #be4      #bdb ,i  
,cor4 xv1 #bj2 see ,acts xxvi1 #bc4     
#bdc ,john v1 #bh-bi4      #bdd ,doc4   
and ,cov4 lxxvi1 #ag4    #ai4 ,paul     
refers to the doctrine of a universal   
resurrection as being  so well proved   
that even his accusers had to admit the 
truth1 that  there shall be a           
resurrection of the dead1 both of the   
just and  unjust4#bde ,on another       
occasion he said ,for as in ,adam all   
die1  even so in ,christ shall all be   
made alive4#bdf ,furthermore1 ,john the 
,revelator testifies of his vision      
concerning futurity1 ,and ,i saw the    
dead1 small and great1 stand before     
,god4444 ,and the sea gave up the  dead 
which were in it1 and death and hell    
delivered up the dead which  were in    

them4#bdg ,thus it is plain that the    
effect of the atonement1  as far as it  
applies to the victory over temporal or 
bodily death1  involves the entire race4
 ,it is equally clear that the release  
from  ,adam's legacy of spiritual death1
 or banishment from the presence of     
,god1 will be similarly universal2 so   
that if any man lose salvation1  such   
loss will be due to himself1 and in no  
way be dependent upon the  ,fall4 ,the  
doctrine that the gift of redemption    
through ,christ is free  to all men1 was
 specifically taught by the apostles of 
old4 ,thus ,paul  says3--,therefore1 as 
by the offence of one1 judgment came    
upon all  men to condemnation2 even so  
by the righteousness of one the free    
gift  came upon all men to the          
justification of life4#bdh ,and         
further3--there is one mediator between 
,god and men1 the man ,christ  ,jesus2  
who gave himself a ransom for all4#bdi  
,john spoke of the  ,redeemer's         
sacrifice1 saying3--,and he is the      

propitiation for our  sins2 and not for 
ours only1 but also for the sins of the 
whole  world4#bej      #bde ,acts xxiv1 
#ae4      #bdf ,i ,cor4 xv1 #bb4        
#bdg ,rev4 xx1 #ab-ac4      #bdh ,rom4  
v1 #ah4      #bdi ,i ,tim4 ii1 #e-f4    
#bej ,i ,john ii1 #b4    #bj4 ,the same 
great truths were taught among the      
,nephites4 ,benjamin1  the righteous    
king1 preached of the atonement which   
was prepared from  the foundation of the
 world for all mankind1 which ever were 
ever  since the fall of ,adam1 or who   
are1 or who ever shall be1 even unto    
the end of the world4#bea ,in revelation
 of the present day we read  of         
,christ's having come into the world1 to
 suffer and to die1 ,that  through him  
all might be saved whom the ,father had 
put into his power  and made by him4#beb
      #bea ,mos4 iv1 #g4      #beb ,doc4
 and ,cov4 lxxvi1 #db4    #ba4 ,but     
besides this universal application of   
the atonement1 whereby  all men are     
redeemed from the effects of ,adam's    

transgression1 both  with respect to the
 death of the body and the taint of     
inherited sin1  there is a special      
application of the same great sacrifice1
 as a means  of propitiation for        
individual sins1 through the faith and  
good works  of the sinner4 ,this        
two-fold effect of the atonement is     
implied in the  article of our faith now
 under consideration4 ,the first effect 
is to  secure to all mankind alike1     
exemption from the otherwise terrible   
effects of the ,fall1 thus providing a  
plan of ,general ,salvation4 ,the       
second effect is to open a way for      
,individual ,salvation whereby  mankind 
may secure forgiveness of personal sins4
 ,as these sins are the  result of      
individual acts1 it is just that        
forgiveness for them should  be         
conditioned on individual compliance    
with prescribed                         
requirements1--obedience to the laws and
 ordinances of the gospel4    #bb4 ,the 
,general ,effect of the ,atonement1 so  

far as it applies to all  who have      
arrived at years of accountability and  
judgment1 has been  made sufficiently   
clear perhaps from the scriptures       
already quoted4  ,its application to    
children may properly receive our       
further  attention4 ,the ,church of     
,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints   
teaches as  a doctrine founded on       
reason1 justice1 and scripture1 that all
  children are innocent in the sight of 
,god1 and that1 until they reach  an age
 of personal responsibility1 baptism is 
not requisite or proper  in their       
behalf2 that1 in short1 they are saved  
through the atonement  of ,christ4 ,to a
 degree1 children are born heirs to the 
good or evil  natures of their parents2 
the effects of heredity in determining  
character are readily recognized4 ,good 
and evil tendencies1 blessings  and     
curses1 are transmitted from generation 
to generation4 ,through  this divinely  
appointed order1 the justice of which is
 plain in the  revealed light of        

knowledge concerning the pre-existent   
state of the  spirits of mankind1 the   
children of ,adam are natural heirs to  
the  calamities of mortality2 but       
through ,christ's atonement they are all
  redeemed from the curses of this      
fallen state2 the debt1 which comes  to 
them as a legacy1 is paid for them1 and 
thus are they left free4  ,children who 
die free of sin are entirely innocent in
 the eyes of ,god1  even though they be 
the offspring of transgressors4 ,we read
 in the  ,book of ,mormon3--,little     
children cannot repent2 wherefore it is 
awful  wickedness to deny the pure      
mercies of ,god unto them1 for they are 
all  alive in him because of his        
mercy4444 ,for behold that all little   
children are alive in ,christ1 and also 
all they that are without the  law4 ,for
 the power of redemption cometh on all  
that have no law4#bec      #bec ,moroni 
viii1 #ai-bb4    #bc4 ,the prophet      
,mormon writing to his son ,moroni      
expressed in the  following manner his  

conviction of children's                
innocence3--,listen to  the words of    
,christ1 your ,redeemer1 your ,lord and 
your ,god4 ,behold1 ,i  came into the   
world not to call the righteous1 but    
sinners to  repentance3 the whole need  
no physician1 but they that are sick2   
wherefore little children are whole1 for
 they are not capable of  committing    
sin2 wherefore1 the curse of ,adam is   
taken from them in me1  that it hath no 
power over them4444 ,behold ,i say unto 
you1 ,that this  thing shall ye teach1  
repentance and baptism unto those who   
are  accountable and capable of         
committing sin2 yea1 teach parents that 
they must repent and be baptized1 and   
humble themselves as their  little      
children1 and they shall all be saved   
with their little  children4 ,and their 
little children need no repentance1     
neither  baptism4 ,behold1 baptism is   
unto repentance to the fulfilling the   
commandments unto the remission of sins4
 ,but little children are alive  in     

,christ even from the foundation of the 
world4#bed      #bed ,moroni viii1      
#h-ab4    #bd4 ,and in a revelation     
through the prophet ,joseph ,smith in   
this  dispensation1 the ,lord has       
said3--,but behold ,i say unto you1 that
  little children are redeemed from the 
foundation of the world through  mine   
,only ,begotten2 wherefore they cannot  
sin1 for power is not given  unto ,satan
 to tempt little children until they    
begin to become  accountable before     
me4#bee ,president ,john ,taylor1 after 
citing  instances of ,christ's affection
 for little children1 and proofs of the 
innocent condition in which they are    
regarded in heaven1  says3--,without    
,adam's transgression1 those children   
could not have  existed2 through the    
atonement they are placed in a state of 
salvation  without any act of their own4
 ,these would embrace1 according to the 
opinion of statisticians1 more than one 
half of the human family1 who  can      
attribute their salvation only to the   

mediation and atonement of  the         
,savior4#bef      #bee ,doc4 and ,cov4  
xxix1 #df-dg4      #bef ,mediation and  
,atonement1 page #adh4 ,see ,note #c4   
#be4 ,the ,special or ,individual       
,effect of the ,atonement makes it      
possible for any and every soul to      
obtain absolution from the dread  effect
 of personal sins1 through the mediation
 of ,christ2 but such  saving           
intercession is to be invoked by        
individual effort as  manifested through
 faith1 repentance1 and continued works 
of  righteousness4 ,the laws under which
 individual salvation is obtainable     
have been prescribed by ,christ1 whose  
right it is to say how the  blessings of
 ,his own sacrifice shall be            
administered4 ,all men are in  need of  
the ,savior's mediation1 for all are    
transgressors4 ,so taught  the apostles 
of old3--,for all have sinned1 and come 
short of the  glory of ,god4#beg ,and   
again3--,if we say that we have no sin  
we  deceive ourselves1 and the truth is 

not in us4#beh ,now1 that the  blessing 
of redemption from individual sins1     
while free for all to  attain1 is       
nevertheless conditioned on individual  
effort1 is as  plainly declared as is   
the truth of unconditional redemption   
from the  effects of the ,fall4 ,there  
is a judgment ordained for all1 and all 
will be judged according to their works4
 ,the free agency of man  enables him to
 choose or reject1 to follow the path of
 life1 or the  road that leads to       
destruction2 it is but just that he be  
held to  answer for the exercise of his 
freedom1 and that he meet the results   
of his acts4      #beg ,rom4 iii1 #bc4  
#beh ,i ,john i1 #h4    #bf4 ,hence the 
justice of the scriptural doctrine that 
salvation  comes to the individual only 
through obedience4 ,he became the author
  of eternal salvation unto all them    
that obey him#bei said ,paul of  the    
,christ4 ,and further3--,god will render
 to every man according to  his deeds3  
,to them who1 by patient continuance in 

well doing1 seek for  glory and honor   
and immortality1 eternal life3 ,but unto
 them that are  contentious1 and do not 
obey the truth1 but obey                
unrighteousness1  indignation and wrath1
 tribulation and anguish1 upon every    
soul of man  that doeth evil1 of the    
,jew first1 and also of the ,gentile2   
,but glory1  honor1 and peace1 to every 
man that worketh good1 to the ,jew      
first1  and also to the ,gentile3 ,for  
there is no respect of persons with     
,god4#bfj ,to these may be added the    
words of the risen ,lord1 ,he that      
believeth1 and is baptized1 shall be    
saved2 and he that believeth not1  shall
 be damned4#bfa      #bei ,heb4 v1 #i4  
#bfj ,rom4 ii1 #f-aa4      #bfa ,mark   
xvi1 #af4    #bg4 ,consider further the 
prophecy of ,king ,benjamin proclaimed  
to the  ,nephite multitude3--,christ's  
blood atoneth for the sins of those who 
have fallen by the transgression of     
,adam1 who have died1 not knowing  the  
will of ,god concerning them1 or who    

have ignorantly sinned4 ,but  wo1 wo    
unto him who knoweth that he rebelleth  
against ,god2 for  salvation cometh to  
none such1 except it be through         
repentance and  faith on the ,lord      
,jesus ,christ4#bfb ,but why multiply   
scriptural  citations when the whole    
tenor of sacred writ supports the       
doctrine8  ,without ,christ no man can  
be saved1 and the salvation provided at 
the  cost of ,christ's sufferings and   
bodily death is offered upon certain    
clearly defined conditions only2 and    
these are summarized under  obedience to
 the laws and ordinances of the gospel4 
#bfb ,mosiah iii1 #aa-ab4    #bh4       
,salvation and ,exaltation4--,some      
degree of salvation will come to  all   
who have not forfeited their right to   
it2 exaltation is given to  those only  
who by active labors have won a claim to
 ,god's merciful  liberality by which it
 is bestowed4 ,of the saved1 not all    
will be  exalted to the higher glories2 
rewards will not be bestowed in         

violation of justice2 punishments will  
not be meted out to the  ignoring of    
mercy's claims4 ,no one can be admitted 
to any order of  glory1 in short1 no    
soul can be saved until justice has been
 satisfied  for violated law4 ,our      
belief in the universal application of  
the  atonement implies no supposition   
that all mankind will be saved with     
like endowments of glory and power4 ,in 
the kingdom of ,god there are  numerous 
degrees or gradations provided for those
 who are worthy of  them2 in the house  
of our ,father there are many mansions1 
into which  only those who are prepared 
are admitted4 ,the old sectarian idea1  
that  in the hereafter there will be but
 two places for the souls of            
mankind1--heaven and hell1 with the same
 glory in all parts of the  one1 and the
 same terrors throughout the other1--is 
wholly untenable  in the light of divine
 revelation4 ,through the direct word of
 the ,lord  we learn of varied degrees  
of glory4    #bi4 ,degrees of           

,glory4--,the revelations of ,god have  
defined the  following principal        
kingdoms or degrees of glory1 as        
prepared through  ,christ for the       
children of men3    ,i4 ,the ,celestial 
,glory4#bfc--,there are some who have   
striven to  obey all the ,divine        
commandments1 who have accepted the     
testimony of  ,christ1 and received the 
,holy ,spirit2 these are they who have  
overcome  evil by godly works1 and who  
are therefore entitled to the highest   
glory2 these belong to the ,church of   
the ,first ,born1 unto whom the  ,father
 has given all things2 they are made    
,kings and ,priests of the  ,most ,high1
 after the order of ,melchisedek2 they  
possess celestial  bodies1 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 typical2 they indeed are      
admitted to the celestial company1      
being crowned with the celestial glory1 
which makes them ,gods4      #bfc ,doc4 

and ,cov4 lxxvi1 #ej-gj4    ,,ii4 ,the  
,terrestrial ,glory4#bfd--,we read of   
those who receive glory  of a secondary 
order1 differing from the highest as the
 moon differs  from the sun in the      
firmament2 these are they who1 though   
honorable1  were still in darkness1     
blinded by the craftiness of men1 and   
unable  to receive and obey the higher  
laws of ,god1 they proved not valiant   
in the testimony of ,jesus1 and         
therefore are not entitled to the       
fulness of glory4      #bfd ,doc4 and   
,cov4 lxxvi1 #ga-hj4    ,,iii4 ,the     
,telestial ,glory4--,we learn of a still
 lower kind of glory1  differing from   
the higher orders as the stars differ   
from the brighter  orbs of the          
firmament2 this is given to those who   
received not the  testimony of ,christ1 
but who still did not deny the ,holy    
,spirit2 who  have led lives exempting  
them from the heaviest punishment1 yet  
whose  redemption will be delayed till  
the last resurrection4 ,in the          

telestial world there are innumerable   
degrees of glory1 comparable to  the    
varying lustre of the stars4#bfe ,yet   
all who receive of any one  of these    
orders of glory are at last saved1 and  
upon them ,satan will  finally have no  
claim4 ,even the telestial glory1 as we 
are told by  those who have been        
permitted to gaze upon it1 surpasses all
  understanding2 and no man knows it    
except him to whom ,god has revealed    
it4#bff ,then there are those who have  
lost all claim upon the  immediate mercy
 of ,god2 whose deeds have numbered them
 with ,perdition  and his angels4#bfg   
#bfe ,doc4 and ,cov4 lxxvi1 #ha-hf4     
#bff ,the same1 paragraphs #hi-ij4      
#bfg ,see page #fb2 also pages #daf-dbb4
      ,,notes4         #a4 ,the         
,atonement ,proved by ,evidence4--,it is
 often asked3 ',how       is it that    
through the sacrifice of one who is     
innocent salvation       may be         
purchased for those under the dominion  
of death8' ,we       observe in passing 

that what should most concern man is not
 so       much how it is that such is   
the case1 but is it a fact8444 ,to      
that question the blood sprinkled upon a
 thousand ,jewish altars1       and the 
smoke that darkened the heavens for ages
 from burnt       offerings1 answer     
yes4444 ,even the mythology of heathen  
nations       retains the idea of an    
atonement that either has been1 or is to
       be made for mankind4 ,fantastic1 
distorted1 confused1 buried under       
the rubbish of savage superstition it   
may be1 but it nevertheless             
exists4 ,so easily traced1 so distinct  
is this feature of heathen              
mythology1 that some writers have       
endeavored to prove that the            
gospel plan of redemption was derived   
from heathen mythology4       ,whereas  
the fact is that the gospel was         
understood and       extensively        
preached in the earliest ages2 men      
retained in their       tradition a     
knowledge of those principles or parts  

of them1 and       however much they    
have been distorted1 traces of them may 
still       be found in nearly all the  
mythologies of the world4 ,the prophets 
of the ,jewish scriptures answer the    
question in the affirmative4       ,the 
writers of the ,new ,testament make     
,christ's atonement the       principal 
theme of their discourses and epistles4 
,the ,book of       ,mormon1 speaking as
 the voice of an entire continent of    
people       whose prophets and         
righteous men sought and found ,god1    
testifies       to the same great fact4 
,the revelations of ,god as given       
through       the ,prophet ,joseph      
,smith are replete with passages        
confirming       this                   
doctrine4--,roberts' ,outlines of       
,ecclesiastical ,history1       ,section
 viii1 #f4         #b4 ,redemption from 
the ,fall ,universal and                
,unconditional4--,we       believe that 
through the sufferings1 death1 and      
atonement of       ,jesus ,christ all   

mankind1 without one exception1 are to  
be       completely and fully redeemed1 
both body and spirit1 from the          
endless banishment and curse to which   
they were consigned by       ,adam's    
transgression2 and that this universal  
salvation and       redemption of the   
whole human family from the endless     
penalty of       the original sin1 is   
effected without any conditions whatever
 on       their part2 that is1 they are 
not required to believe or repent1      
or be baptized1 or do anything else1 in 
order to be redeemed from       that    
penalty2 for whether they believe or    
disbelieve2 whether       they repent or
 remain impenitent1 whether they are    
baptized or       unbaptized1 whether   
they keep the commandments or break     
them1       whether they are righteous  
or unrighteous1 it will make no         
difference in relation to their         
redemption1 both soul and body1         
from the penalty of ,adam's             
transgression4 ,the most righteous man  

that ever lived on the earth1 and the   
most wicked wretch of the       whole   
human family1 were both placed under the
 same curse without       any           
transgression or agency of their own1   
and they both alike       will be       
redeemed from that curse1 without any   
agency or       conditions on their     
part4--,apostle ,orson ,pratt in        
,remarkable       ,visions4         #c4 
,christ the ,author of our              
,salvation4--,president ,john ,taylor   
speaks of the death of ,christ as an    
expiatory sacrifice1 and                
adds3--,the ,savior thus becomes master 
of the situation1--the       debt is    
paid1 the redemption made1 the covenant 
fulfilled1       justice satisfied1 the 
will of ,god done1 and all power is now 
given into the hands of the ,son of     
,god1--the power of the                 
resurrection1 the power of the          
redemption1 the power of                
salvation1 the power to enact laws for  
the carrying out and                    

accomplishment of this design4444 ,the  
plan1 the arrangement1 the              
agreement1 the covenant was made1       
entered into and accepted1       before 
the foundation of the world2 it was     
prefigured by       sacrifices1 and was 
carried out and consummated on the      
,cross4       ,hence1 being the         
,mediator between ,god and man1 ,he     
becomes by       right the ,dictator and
 ,director on earth and in heaven for   
the       living and for the dead1 for  
the past1 the present1 and the          
future1 pertaining to man as associated 
with this earth or the       heavens1 in
 time or eternity1 the ,captain of our  
salvation1 the       ,apostle and ,high 
,priest of our profession1 the ,lord and
 ,giver of       life4--,mediation and  
,atonement1 ,pres4 ,john ,taylor1 p4    
#aga4         #d4 ,the ,atonement       
,inaugurated by ,christ4--,the ,apostle 
,paul       quite comprehensively sums  
up the results of ,christ's death and   
resurrection3 ',but now is ,christ risen

 from the dead1 and become       the    
first fruits of them that slept4 ,for   
since by man came death1       by man   
came also the resurrection of the dead4 
,for as in ,adam all       die1 even so 
in ,christ shall all be made alive' 7,i 
,cor4 xv1       #ba-bb74 ,that is1 death
 having come on all men through the     
disobedience of ,adam1 so must all be   
raised to immortality and       eternal 
life through the death and resurrection 
of ,christ4 ,paul       also asserted   
that 'the last enemy that shall be      
destroyed is       death' 7verse #bf74  
,john the ,revelator declares that he   
saw death       and hell cast into the  
lake of fire 7,rev4 xx1 #ad74 ,the      
atonement1       as wrought out by      
,jesus ,christ1 further signifies that  
,he has       opened up the way for     
man's redemption from his own sins1     
through       faith in ,christ's        
sufferings1 death1 and resurrection4    
,the       ,apostle ,paul well expresses
 this3 ',for all have sinned1 and come  

short of the glory of ,god2 being       
justified freely by his grace           
through the redemption that is in       
,christ ,jesus3 whom ,god hath set      
forth to be a propitiation through faith
 in his blood1 to declare       his     
righteousness for the remission of sins 
that are past1       through the        
forbearance of ,god' 7,romans iii1      
#bc-bf74 ,these       passages evidence 
that redemption from death1 through the 
sufferings of ,christ1 is for all men1  
both the righteous and the       wicked2
 for this earth1 and for all things     
created upon it4 ,the       whole tenor 
of the scriptures assures us that1 while
 they may be       sure of resurrection 
from death1 regardless of their personal
       acts1 yet they will be rewarded  
for their works1 whether they be        
good or evil1 and that redemption from  
personal sins can only be       obtained
 through obedience to the requirements  
of the ,gospel1 and       a life of good
 works4 ,the transgression of ,adam     

being infinite in       its             
consequences1 those consequences cannot 
be averted1 except       through an     
infinite atonement4--,compendium1 ,f4   
,d4 ,richards        ,j4 ,a4 ,little1   
pp4 #h-i4         #e4 ,the ,atonement   
,necessary4--,in the economy of ,god and
 the       plan proposed by the         
,almighty1 it was provided that man was 
to be       placed under a law          
apparently simple in itself1 yet the    
test of       that law was fraught with 
the gravest consequences4 ,the          
observance of that law would secure     
eternal life1 and the penalty       for 
the violation of that law was death4444 
,if the law had not       been broken1  
man would have lived2 but would man thus
 living have       been capable of      
perpetuating his species1 and of thus   
fulfilling       the designs of ,god in 
preparing tabernacles for the spirits   
which       had been created in the     
spirit world8 ,and further1 could they  
have had the need of a mediator1 who was

 to act as a propitiation       for the 
violation of this law1 which it would   
appear from the       circumstances was 
destined to be broken2 or could the     
eternal       increase and perpetuity of
 man have been continued1 and his high  
exaltation to the ,godhead been         
accomplished1 without the               
propitiatory atonement and sacrifice of 
the ,son of       ,god8--,mediation and 
,atonement1 ,pres4 ,john ,taylor1 pp4   
#abh-abi4         #f4 ,the ,need of a   
,redeemer4--,for special treatment of   
this topic       see ,jesus the ,christ1
 pp4 #ag-ca4          ,,lecture ,v4     
,,faith ,,and ,,repentance4             
,article #d4--,we believe that the first
 principles and ordinances       of the 
,gospel are 7#a7 ,faith in the ,lord    
,jesus ,christ2 7#b7       ,repentance2 
444      ,,faith4    #a4 ,nature of     
,faith4--,the predominating sense in    
which the term faith  is used throughout
 the scriptures is that of full         
confidence and trust  in the being1     

purposes1 and words of ,god4 ,such      
trust1 if it be  implicit1 will remove  
all doubt concerning things accomplished
 or  promised of ,god1 even though such 
things be not apparent to or  explicable
 by the ordinary senses of mortality2   
hence arises the  definition of faith   
given by ,paul3 ,now faith is the       
substance i4e4  confidence1 or assurance
 of things hoped for1 the evidence      
i4e4 the demonstration or proof of      
things not seen4#bfh ,it is    plain    
that such a feeling of trust may exist  
in different persons    in varying      
degrees2 indeed1 faith may manifest     
itself from the    incipient feeble     
state which is little more than mere    
belief1    scarcely free from hesitation
 and fear1 to the strength of abiding   
confidence that sets doubt and sophistry
 at defiance4      #bfh ,heb4 xi1 #a4   
#b4 ,belief1 ,faith1 and ,knowledge1    
while intimately related and  ofttimes  
regarded as one1 are in reality not     
identical4 ,the terms  faith and belief 

are sometimes used as synonyms1         
nevertheless each of  them has a        
specific and definite meaning in our    
language1 although in  early ,english   
there was virtually no distinction      
between them1 and  therefore the words  
are used interchangeably in the ancient 
scriptures4 ,belief may consist in a    
merely intellectual assent1 whilst      
faith implies such confidence and       
conviction as will impel to action4     
,dictionary authority justifies us in   
drawing a distinction between the  two1 
according to present usage in ,english2 
and this authority defines  belief as a 
simple assent to the truth or actuality 
of anything1  excluding however the     
moral element of responsibility through 
such  assent1 which is embraced by      
faith4 ,belief is in a sense passive1--a
  mental agreement or acceptance only2  
faith is active and  positive1--such a  
reliance and confidence as will lead to 
works4 ,faith  in ,christ comprises     
belief in ,him1 combined with trust in  

,him4 ,one  cannot have faith without   
belief2 yet he may believe and still    
lack  faith4 ,faith is vivified1        
vitalized1 living belief4    #c4        
,certainly there is a great difference  
in degree1 even if no  essential        
distinction in kind be admitted between 
the two4 ,as shall be  presently        
demonstrated1 faith in the ,godhead is  
requisite to  salvation2 it is indeed a 
saving power1 leading its possessor in  
the  paths of godliness2 surely a mere  
belief in the existence and  attributes 
of ,deity is no such power4 ,mark the   
words of the ,apostle  ,james4#bfi ,in  
his general epistle to the ,saints1 he  
chided his  brethren for certain empty  
professions4 ,said he in effect3--,you  
take  pride and satisfaction in         
declaring your belief in ,god2 you boast
 of  being distinguished from the       
idolaters and the heathen because you   
accept one ,god2 you do well to so      
profess1 and so believe2 but1  remember1
 others do likewise2 even the devils    

believe2 and so firmly  that they       
tremble at thought of the fate which    
that belief makes plain  to             
them4--,what1 do devils believe in      
,christ8 ,aye1 their belief amounts  to 
certain knowledge1 as to who ,he is1 and
 as to what constitutes ,his  part1     
past1 present1 and to come1 in the      
,divine plan of human  existence and    
salvation4 ,call to mind the case of the
 man possessed by  evil spirits1 in the 
land of the ,gadarenes2 a man so        
grievously  tormented as to be a terror 
to all who came near him2 he could be   
neither tamed nor bound2 people were    
afraid to approach him2 yet when  he saw
 ,christ1 he ran to ,him and worshiped1 
and the wicked spirit  within him begged
 for mercy at the hands of that         
,righteous ,one1  calling ,him ,jesus1  
,son of the ,most ,high ,god4#bgj       
,again1 an unclean  spirit in the       
synagogue at ,jerusalem implored ,christ
 not to use ,his  power1 crying in fear 
and agony1 ,i know thee1 who thou art1  

the ,holy  ,one of ,god4#bga ,and then1 
we are told that ,christ was once       
followed  by a multitude made up of     
people from ,iduma and ,jerusalem1 from 
,tyre  and ,sidon2 among them were many 
who were possessed of evil spirits1  and
 these1 when they saw ,him1 fell down in
 the attitude of worship1  exclaiming3  
,thou art the ,son of ,god4#bgb ,was    
there ever mortal  believer who         
confessed more unreservedly a knowledge 
of ,god and ,his  ,son ,jesus ,christ   
than did these same followers of ,satan8
 ,the evil one  knows ,god and ,christ2 
remembers1 perchance1 somewhat          
concerning the  position which he once  
occupied as a ,son of the ,morning#bgc2 
yet with  all such knowledge he is      
,satan still4 ,neither belief nor its   
superior1--actual knowledge1--is        
efficient to save2 for neither of  these
 is faith4 ,belief may be a product of  
the mind1 faith is of the  heart2 belief
 is founded on reason2 faith largely on 
intuition4      #bfi ,see ,james ii1    

#ai4      #bgj ,see ,mark v1 #a-ah2 also
 ,matt4 viii1 #bh-cd4      #bga ,see    
,mark i1 #bd4      #bgb ,mark iii1      
#h-aa4 ,see ,jesus the ,christ1 pp4     
#aha1 #caj-cab4      #bgc ,doc4 and     
,cov4 lxxvi1 #be-bg4    #d4 ,we         
frequently hear it said that faith is   
imperfect knowledge2  that the first    
disappears as the second takes its      
place2 that now we  walk by faith but   
some day we will walk by the sure light 
of  knowledge4 ,in a sense this is true2
 yet it must be remembered that         
knowledge may be as dead and            
unproductive in good works as is        
faithless belief4 ,those confessions of 
the devils1 that ,christ was the  ,son  
of ,god1 were founded on knowledge2 yet 
the great truth which they  knew did not
 change their evil natures4 ,how        
different was their  acknowledgment of  
the ,savior from that of ,peter1 who1 to
 the ,master's  question ,whom say ye   
that ,i am8 replied in practically the  
words  used by the unclean spirits      

before cited1 ,thou art the ,christ1 the
  ,son of the living ,god4#bgd ,peter's 
faith had already shown its vital       
power2 it had caused him to forsake much
 that had been dear1 to follow  his     
,lord through persecution and suffering1
 and to put away  worldliness with all  
its fascinations1 for the sacrificing   
godliness  which his faith made so      
desirable4 ,his knowledge of ,god as the
 ,father1  and of the ,son as the       
,redeemer1 was perhaps no greater than  
that of  the unclean spirits2 but while 
to them that knowledge was but an added 
cause of condemnation1 to him it was a  
means of salvation4      #bgd ,matt4    
xvi1 #ae-af2 see also ,mark viii1 #bi2  
,luke ix1 #bj4    #e4 ,the mere         
possession of knowledge gives no        
assurance of benefit  therefrom4 ,an    
illustration may perhaps be here        
allowed4 ,during an  epidemic of cholera
 in a large city1 a scientific man      
proved to his  own satisfaction1 by     
chemical and microscopical tests1 that  

the water  supply was infected1 and that
 through it contagion was being spread4 
,he proclaimed the great truth          
throughout the city1 and warned all     
against the use of unboiled water4 ,many
 of the people1 although  incapable of  
comprehending his methods of            
investigation1 far less of  repeating   
such for themselves1 had faith in his   
warning words1  followed his            
instructions1 and escaped the death to  
which their  careless and unbelieving   
fellows succumbed4 ,their faith was a   
saving  one4 ,to the man himself1 the   
truth by which so many lives had been   
spared was a matter of knowledge4 ,he   
had actually seen1 under the            
microscope1 the death-dealing germs in  
the water2 he had tested their          
virulence2 he knew of what he spoke4    
,nevertheless1 in a moment of           
forgetfulness he drank of the unpurified
 water1 and soon thereafter  died a     
victim to the plague4 ,his knowledge did
 not save him1 complete  though it was2 

yet others1 whose reliance was only that
 of faith in  the truth which he        
declared1 escaped the threatening       
destruction4  ,truly he had knowledge2  
but1 was he wise8 ,knowledge is to      
wisdom what  belief is to faith2 one an 
abstract principle1 the other a living  
application4 ,not possession merely1 but
 the proper use of knowledge            
constitutes wisdom4 ,of belief compared 
with faith it may be said1 as  it has   
been taught of knowledge and wisdom3--  
,knowledge and wisdom1 far from being   
one1      ,have oft-times no            
connection4444      ,knowledge1 a rude  
unprofitable mass1      ,the mere       
material with which wisdom builds1      
,till smoothed and squared and fitted to
 its place1      ,does but encumber whom
 it seems to enrich4    #f4 ,the        
,foundation of ,faith4--,in a           
theological sense1 we understand  by    
faith as already outlined1 a living1    
inspiring confidence in ,god1  and an   
acceptance of ,his will as our law1 and 

of ,his words as our  guide1 in life4   
,faith in ,god is possible only as we   
come to know1 or  at least to believe1  
that ,he exists1 and moreover1 that ,he 
is a ,being  of worthy character and    
attributes4 ,the grounds upon which man 
founds  his belief or knowledge         
respecting the existence of ,god1 have  
been  examined in a previous            
lecture2#bge some of the ,divine        
attributes1 as  made known through      
,god's dealings with mankind1 have been 
likewise  specified4 ,a restatement of  
the principal facts relating to the     
character of the ,supreme ,being may be 
in place here1 inasmuch as some         
knowledge concerning the attributes of  
,deity is essential to the  exercise of 
faith in ,him4 ,let us adopt the summary
 of facts as set  forth by the prophet1 
,joseph ,smith2 he presents1 on the     
testimony of  scripture1 the following  
statements respecting the character of  
,god4      #bge ,lecture ,,ii1 page #bh4
    7#a47 ,that ,he was ,god before the 

world was created1 and the same ,god    
that ,he was after it was created4      
7#b47 ,that ,he is merciful and         
gracious1 slow to anger1 abundant in    
goodness1 and that ,he was so from      
everlasting1 and will be to             
everlasting4    7#c47 ,that ,he changes 
not1 neither is there variableness with 
,him2 but  that ,he is the same from    
everlasting to everlasting1 being the   
same  yesterday1 to-day1 and for ever2  
and that ,his course is one eternal     
round1 without variation4    7#d47 ,that
 ,he is a ,god of truth and cannot lie4 
7#e47 ,that ,he is no respecter of      
persons2 but in every nation he that    
fears ,god and works righteousness is   
accepted of ,him4    7#f47 ,that ,he is 
love4#bgf      #bgf ,doc4 and ,cov41    
,lectures on ,faith1 iii1 #ac-ah4    #g4
 ,a knowledge of these comprehensive    
features of the ,divine nature  will    
enable one to exercise rational and     
intelligent faith in ,god4 ,and  upon   
such knowledge of ,god's existence1 the 

worthiness of ,his  character1 and the  
perfection of ,his attributes1 is man's 
faith in ,him  established4 ,faith then 
cannot be exercised in the absence of   
all  knowledge2 yet even the benighted  
heathen show some of the fruits of      
faith2 but they have at least the       
conviction that arises from man's       
natural intuition regarding a supreme   
power1 which has been described  as a   
common heritage of humanity4 ,in every  
human soul1 even in that of  the savage1
 there is some basis for faith1 however 
limited and  imperfect the darkness of  
heredity or of wilful sin may have made 
it4  ,every child of ,god is born with  
the capacity for faith inherent within  
his own nature2 and all yearn in some   
degree for the strength and aid  which  
only faith can give4 ,we shall yet      
learn3--                    ,that in all
 ages      ,every human heart is human2 
,that in even savage bosoms      ,there 
are longings1 yearnings1 strivings1     
,for the good they comprehend not4      

,that the feeble hands and helpless1    
,groping blindly in the darkness1       
,trust ,god's right hand in that        
darkness1      ,and are lifted up and   
strengthened4#bgg      #bgg ,longfellow4
    ,the heathen's faith may be         
imperfect and weak1 for his ability to  
recognize the evidence upon which belief
 in ,god depends may be small4  ,while  
the first promptings of faith toward    
,god may be the result of  natural      
intuition1--a faint echo of the songs of
 praise which were so  common during the
 state of primeval childhood1--the later
 development  will be largely the result
 of unprejudiced and prayerful          
investigation  and search for truth4    
#h4 ,from trustworthy evidence1 rightly 
interpreted1 true faith will  spring2   
from false evidence1 only distorted and 
misplaced faith can  arise4#bgh ,our    
conclusions concerning any question     
under test will be  governed largely by 
the number and credibility of the       
witnesses1 if it  so be that we cannot  

investigate the alleged facts for       
ourselves2 and  in either case1 by the  
amount and quality of the evidence      
obtainable4  ,now1 however improbable a 
declaration may appear to us1 if the    
truth  of it be affirmed by witnesses in
 whom we have confidence1 we are led  to
 admit the statement1 at least          
provisionally1 as true4 ,if many        
credible witnesses testify1 and         
moreover1 if collateral evidence        
suggest itself through facts in our     
possession1 we may consider the         
statement as proved2 although we would  
be unable to affirm the truth  of it on 
the strength of our personal knowledge1 
until we had seen and  heard for        
ourselves1 until in fact each of us had 
become a competent  witness through     
personal observation4 ,to illustrate3 of
 the citizens  of this country but a    
comparative few perhaps have visited the
 seat of  government2 the masses know   
nothing by actual observation of the    
,capitol1 the executive mansion1 and    

other buildings of national  interest   
and importance2 very few have personally
 met the ,president  who resides there4 
,how does any one of the multitudes who 
have not  seen for themselves1 know of  
the city of ,washington1 of the         
,capitol1  and of the ,president8       
,solely through the testimony of others4
 ,he may  have among his acquaintances  
one or many who have been in the capital
  of our country and whose statements he
 accepts as true2 assuredly he  has     
heard or read of those who do know for  
themselves4 ,then he hears  of laws     
being framed there1 and of edicts       
issuing from the nation's  headquarters2
 his studies in school1 his use of maps 
and books1 and  many other incidents add
 to the evidence which soon becomes     
decisive4  ,his inferences multiply1 and
 develop into a positive conviction4 ,he
  acquires a faith in the existence of a
 center of national government1  and a  
regard for the laws which emanate       
therefrom4      #bgh ,see ,note #a4     

#i4 ,let us take another illustration3  
,astronomers tell us that the  earth is 
of a kind with certain of the stars2    
that it is one of a  family of planets  
which revolve about the sun in          
concentric orbits2  and that some of    
those planets are many times the size of
 our globe4  ,we may not be skilled in  
astronomers' methods of observation and 
calculation1 and may therefore be unable
 to test the truth of these  statements 
for ourselves2 but we find such a mass  
of evidence  resulting from the united  
testimony of those in whose skill as    
scientific workers we have confidence1  
that the conclusions are  accepted by us
 as fully proved4    #aj4 ,so too       
concerning the existence1 authority1 and
 attributes of  ,god1 the testimonies of
 many holy men in ancient and modern    
times1--prophets whose credibility is   
established by the fulfillment  of their
 predictions1--have come to us in united
 declaration of the  solemn truths1 and 
nature furnishes corroborative testimony

 on every  side4 ,to reject without     
disproving such evidence is to ignore   
the most  approved methods of           
investigation and research known to man4
 ,the  development of faith from        
evidence is illustrated in the scenes of
 a  certain memorable ,pentecost        
celebration1 on which occasion thousands
  of ,jews1 imbued with a preconceived  
prejudice that ,jesus was an  impostor1 
heard the apostles' testimonies1 and    
witnessed the attendant  signs3 three   
thousand of them were convinced of the  
truth and became  followers of the ,son 
of ,god1 their prejudice giving place to
 belief1  and their belief developing   
into faith with its accompanying        
works4#bgi ,the foundation of faith in  
,god then is a sincere belief in  or    
knowledge of ,him1 as sustained by      
evidence and testimony1 tested  and     
proved by earnest1 prayerful search4    
#bgi ,see ,acts ii4    #aa4 ,faith a    
,principle of ,power4--,in its widest   
sense1 faith1--the  assurance of things 

for which we hope1 and the evidence of  
things not  discernible through our     
senses1--is the motive principle that   
impels  men to resolve and to act4      
,without its exercise1 we would make no 
exertion the results of which are       
future3 without faith that he may       
gather in the autumn1 man would not     
plant in the spring2 neither would  he  
essay to build1 did he not have         
confidence that he would finish the     
structure and enjoy its use2 had the    
student no faith in the  possibility of 
successfully following his studies1 he  
would not enter  upon his courses4      
,faith thus becomes to us the foundation
 of hope1  from which spring all our    
aspirations1 ambitions1 and confidences 
for  the future4 ,remove man's faith in 
the possibility of any desired  success1
 and you rob him of the incentive to    
strive4 ,he would not  stretch forth his
 hand to seize did he not believe in the
 possibility  of securing that for which
 he reaches4 ,this principle becomes    

therefore the impelling force by which  
men struggle for excellence1  oftentimes
 enduring vicissitudes and suffering    
that they may achieve  their purposes4  
,faith is the secret of ambition1 the   
soul of heroism1  the motive power of   
all effort4    #ab4 ,the exercise of    
faith is pleasing unto ,god1 and thereby
 ,his  interposition may be secured4 ,it
 was through faith that the ,israelites 
in their exodus from ,egypt followed    
their dauntless leader into the  bed of 
the sea2 and through the protecting     
agencies of ,god1 which that  faith drew
 forth1 they were saved1 while the      
,egyptians met destruction  in          
attempting to follow4#bhj ,with full    
confidence in the instructions  and     
promises of ,god1 ,joshua and his       
intrepid followers laid siege to        
,jericho2 and the walls of that city of 
sin fell before the faith of  the       
besiegers without the use of battering  
rams1 or other engines of  war4#bha ,by 
the same power ,joshua gained the       

assistance of the  luminaries of heaven1
 in his work of victory over the        
,amorites4#bhb  ,paul cites#bhc us also 
to the instances of ,gideon1#bhd        
,barak1#bhe  ,samson1#bhf ,jephthah1#bhg
 ,david1#bhh ,samuel1#bhi and the       
prophets1  who1 through faith1 subdued  
kingdoms1 wrought righteousness1        
obtained  promises1 stopped the mouths  
of lions1 quenched the violence of fire1
  escaped the edge of the sword1 out of 
weakness were made strong4 ,it  was by  
faith that ,alma and ,amulek were       
delivered from captivity1 while  the    
prison walls which had previously held  
them were rent and  demolished4#bij ,by 
faith1 ,nephi and ,lehi#bia the sons of 
,helaman  were protected from their     
,lamanite foes1 even by fire1 though    
they  were not burned2 and a still      
greater work was wrought in the hearts  
of  their persecutors1 for they became  
enlightened1 and accepted the  testimony
 of truth4 ,through the operation of    
faith even the waves of  the sea may be 

subdued1#bib trees are subject to the   
voice of ,him who  commands by          
faith2#bic mountains may be removed for 
the  accomplishment of righteous        
purposes1#bid the sick may be           
healed1#bie evil spirits may be cast    
out1#bif and the dead may be  raised to 
life4#big ,all things are wrought       
through faith4#bih      #bhj ,exo4 xiv1 
#bb-bi2 ,heb4 xi1 #bi4      #bha ,josh4 
vi1 #bj2 ,heb4 xi1 #cj4      #bhb ,josh4
 x1 #ab4      #bhc ,heb4 xi1 #cb-cd2    
,doc4 and ,cov41 ,lecture i1 #bj4       
#bhd ,judges vi1 #aa4      #bhe ,judges 
iv1 #f4      #bhf ,judges xiii1 #bd4    
#bhg ,judges xi1 #a2 xii1 #g4      #bhh 
,i ,sam4 xvi1 #a1 #ac2 xvii1 #de4       
#bhi ,i ,sam4 i1 #bj2 xii1 #bj4         
#bij ,alma xiv1 #bf-bi2 ,doc4 and ,cov41
 ,lecture on ,faith1 i1 #ai4      #bia  
,helaman v1 #bj-eb2 ,doc4 and ,cov41    
,lecture on ,faith1 i1 #ai4      #bib   
,matt4 viii1 #bc-bg2 ,mark iv1 #cf-da2  
,luke viii1 #bb-be2 ,matt4    xiv1      
#bd-cb2 ,mark vi1 #dg-ea1 ,john vi1     

#ag-ba4      #bic ,matt4 xxi1 #ag-ba2   
,mark xi1 #ab-ac1 #bj-bd2 ,book of      
,jacob iv1    #f4    #bid ,matt4 xvii1  
#bj2 ,mark xi1 #bc-bd2 ,ether xii1 #cj2 
,jacob iv1 #f2    ,doc4 and ,cov41      
,lecture on ,faith1 i1 #ai4      #bie   
,luke xiii1 #aa2 xiv1 #b2 xvii1 #aa2    
xxii1 #ej2 ,matt4 viii1 #b1 #e1    #ad1 
#af1 etc4      #bif ,matt4 viii1 #bh2   
xvii1 #ah2 ,mark i1 #bc4      #big ,luke
 vii1 #aa-af2 ,john xi1 #dc-de2 ,i      
,kings xvii1 #ag-bd4      #bih ,matt4   
xvii1 #bj2 ,mark ix1 #bc2 ,eph4 vi1 #af2
 ,i ,john v1 #d4    #ac4 ,but1 it may be
 argued that faith of itself is not a   
source of  power2 that its effect is due
 to an external interposition of ,divine
  aid1 which faith merely secured2 and  
the skeptic may add that an  omniscient 
,god1 if truly loving and kind1 would   
act independently and  give without     
waiting to be invoked through faith or  
prayer4 ,a  sufficient answer is found  
in the abundant proof furnished by the  
scriptures1 that the ,almighty operates 

in accordance with law2 and  that       
arbitrary and capricious action is      
foreign to ,his nature4 ,however  the   
laws of heaven may have been formulated1
 the application of their  beneficent   
provisions to humanity is dependent on  
the faith and  obedience of the mortal  
subjects4 ,consider the defeat of       
,israel by the  men of ,ai2 a law of    
righteousness had been violated1 and    
things that  were accursed had been     
introduced into the camp of ,god's      
people this  transgression stopped the  
current of ,divine help1 and until the  
people  had sanctified themselves1 the  
power was not renewed unto them4#bii    
,christ was influenced1 and to some     
extent controlled in ,his miracles      
among men by the faith or lack of faith 
of the people4 ,the common  benediction1
 ,thy faith hath made thee whole1 with  
which ,he announced  the healing        
interposition1 is evidence of the fact4 
,then we learn that  in ,his own country
 ,he could do no mighty work1 being     

restrained by the  unbelief of the      
people4#cjj      #bii ,joshua vii-viii4 
#cjj ,matt4 xiii1 #eh2 ,mark vi1 #e #f4 
#ad4 ,a ,condition of ,living           
,faith4--,a condition essential to the  
exercise of a living1 growing1          
sustaining faith in ,deity1 is the      
consciousness on man's part that he is  
at least endeavoring to live in         
accordance with the laws of ,god as he  
has learned them4 ,a knowledge  that he 
is wilfully and wantonly sinning against
 the truth will  deprive him of         
sincerity in prayer and faith1 and will 
surely estrange  him from his ,father4  
,he must feel that the trend of his     
life's course  is acceptable to ,god1   
that with due allowance for mortal      
weakness and  human frailty he is in    
some measure approved of the ,lord1 or  
he can  never approach the throne of    
grace with confidence4 ,the             
consciousness  of earnest effort toward 
godly walk and conduct is a power of    
itself1  strengthening its possessor in 

sacrifice and under persecution1 and    
sustaining him in all good works4 ,it   
was this knowledge of assured  communion
 with ,god that enabled the saints of   
olden time to endure as  they did1      
though their sufferings were appalling4 
,of them we read that  some were        
tortured1 not accepting deliverance2    
that they might obtain  a better        
resurrection3 ,and others had trial of  
cruel mockings and  scourgings1 yea1    
moreover of bonds and imprisonment3     
,they were stoned1  they were sawn      
asunder1 were tempted1 were slain with  
the sword3 they  wandered about in      
sheepskins and goatskins2 being         
destitute1  afflicted1 tormented2 7of   
whom the world was not worthy37 they    
wandered in deserts1 and in mountains1  
and in dens and caves of the  earth4#cja
 ,as in former days so in the present1  
the saints have been  sustained through 
all their sufferings by the sure        
knowledge of ,divine  approval2 and the 
faith of righteous men has ever grown   

through a  consciousness of their good  
endeavors4      #cja ,heb4 xi1 #ce-ch2  
see also ,doc4 and ,cov41 ,lectures on  
,faith1    vi4    #ae4 ,faith ,essential
 to ,salvation4--,inasmuch as salvation 
is  attainable only through the         
mediation and atonement of ,christ1 and 
since this is made applicable to        
individual sin only in the cases of     
those who obey the laws of              
righteousness1 faith in ,jesus ,christ  
is  indispensable to salvation4 ,but no 
one can believe in ,jesus ,christ1  and 
at the same time doubt the existence and
 authority of either the  ,father or the
 ,holy ,ghost2 therefore faith in the   
entire ,godhead is  essential to        
salvation4 ,paul declares that without  
faith it is  impossible to please ,god1 
for he that cometh to ,god must believe 
that  ,he is1 and that ,he is a rewarder
 of them that diligently seek  ,him4#cjb
 ,the scriptures abound in assurances of
 salvation to those  who exercise faith 
in ,god1 and obey the requirements which

 that faith  makes plain4 ,christ's     
words on the matter are conclusive1 ,he 
that  believeth and is baptized shall be
 saved1 but he that believeth not  shall
 be damned2#cjc and again1 ,he that     
believeth on the ,son hath  everlasting 
life1 and he that believeth not the ,son
 shall not see  life1 but the wrath of  
,god abideth on him4#cjd ,and similar   
doctrines  did ,his apostles teach after
 ,his death all the days of their       
ministry4#cje ,a natural result of      
implicit faith in the ,godhead will  be 
a growing confidence in the scriptures  
as containing the word of  ,god1 and in 
the words and works of ,his authorized  
servants1 who speak  as the living      
oracles of heaven4      #cjb ,heb4 xi1  
#f4      #cjc ,mark xvi1 #af4      #cjd 
,john iii1 #cf4 ,see also ,john iii1    
#ae2 iv1 #db2 v1 #bd2 xi1 #be2    ,gal4 
ii1 #bj2 ,i ,nephi x1 #f1 #ag2 ,,ii     
,nephi xxv1 #be2 xxvi1 #h2 ,enos i1     
#h2 ,mos4 iii1 #ag2 ,,iii ,nephi xxvii1 
#ai2 ,hel4 v1 #i2 ,doc4 and ,cov4       

xiv1 #h4      #cje ,acts ii1 #ch2 x1    
#db2 xvi1 #ca2 ,rom4 x1 #i2 ,heb4 iii1  
#ai2 xi1 #f2    ,i ,pet4 i1 #i2 ,i ,john
 iii1 #bc2 v1 #ad4    #af4 ,faith a     
,gift of ,god4--,though within the reach
 of all who  diligently strive to gain  
it1 faith is nevertheless a ,divine     
gift1 and  can be obtained only from    
,god4#cjf ,as is fitting for so         
priceless a  pearl1 it is given to those
 only who show by their sincerity that  
they  are worthy of it1 and who give    
promise of abiding by its dictates4     
,although faith is called the first     
principle of the gospel of ,christ1     
though it be in fact the foundation of  
all religion1 yet even faith is         
preceded by sincerity of disposition and
 humility of soul1 whereby the  word of 
,god may make an impression upon the    
heart4#cjg ,no compulsion  is used in   
bringing men to a knowledge of ,god2    
yet1 as fast as we open  our hearts to  
the influences of righteousness1 the    
faith that leads to  life eternal will  

be given us of our ,father4      #cjf   
,matt4 xvi1 #ag2 ,john vi1 #dd1 #fe2    
,eph4 ii1 #h2 ,i ,cor4 xii1 #i2    ,rom4
 xii1 #c2 ,moroni x1 #aa4      #cjg ,see
 ,rom4 x1 #ag4    #ag4 ,faith and       
,works4--,faith in a passive sense1 that
 is1 as mere  belief1 is inefficient as 
a means of salvation4 ,this truth was   
clearly  set forth both by ,christ and  
the apostles1 and the vigor with which  
it  was declared may be an indication of
 the early development of a most        
pernicious doctrine1--that of           
justification by belief alone4 ,the     
,savior taught that works were essential
 to the validity of profession  and the 
efficacy of faith4 ,mark his            
words3--,not every one that sayeth  unto
 me1 ,lord1 ,lord1 shall enter into the 
kingdom of heaven2 but he  that doeth   
the will of my ,father which is in      
heaven4#cjh ,he that  hath my           
commandments1 and keepeth them1 he it is
 that loveth me3 and  he that loveth me 
shall be loved of my ,father1 and ,i    

will love him1  and will manifest myself
 to him4#cji ,the instructions of the   
,apostle ,james are particularly        
explicit3--,what doth it profit1 my     
brethren1 though a man say he hath      
faith1 and have not works8 can  faith   
save him8 ,if a brother or sister be    
naked1 and destitute of  daily food1 and
 one of you say unto them1 depart in    
peace1 be ye  warmed and filled2        
notwithstanding ye give them not those  
things which  are needful to the body2  
what doth it profit8 ,even so faith1 if 
it  hath not works1 is dead1 being      
alone4 ,yea1 a man may say1 ,thou hast  
faith1 and ,i have works3 shew me thy   
faith without thy works1 and ,i  will   
shew thee my faith by my works4#caj ,and
 to this may be added  the words of     
,john3--,and hereby we do know that we  
know him1 if we  keep his commandments4 
,he that saith1 ,i know him1 and keepeth
 not his  commandments1 is a liar1 and  
the truth is not in him4 ,but whoso     
keepeth his word1 in him verily is the  

love of ,god perfected3 hereby  know we 
that we are in him4#caa      #cjh ,matt4
 vii1 #ba4      #cji ,john xiv1 #ba4    
#caj ,james ii1 #ad-ah4      #caa ,i    
,john ii1 #c-e4    #ah4 ,to these       
teachings may be added many inspired    
utterances from  ,nephite scriptures#cab
 and from modern revelation1#cac all    
affirming  the necessity of works1 and  
denying the saving efficacy of mere     
belief4 ,yet in spite of the plain word 
of ,god1 sectarian dogmas have  been    
promulgated to the effect that by faith 
alone man may achieve  salvation1 and   
that a mere profession of belief shall  
open the doors  of heaven to the        
sinner4#cad ,the scriptures cited and   
man's inherent  sense of justice furnish
 a sufficient refutation of these false 
teachings4      #cab ,see ,i ,nephi xv1 
#cc2 ,,ii ,nephi xxix1 #aa2 ,mosiah v1  
#ae2 ,alma    vii1 #bg2 ix1 #bh2 xxxvii1
 #cb-cd2 xli1 #c-e4      #cac ,doc4 and 
,cov4 throughout4      #cad ,see ,note  
#b4      ,,repentance4    #ai4 ,nature  

of ,repentance4--,the term repentance is
 used in the  scriptures with several   
different meanings1 but1 as representing
 the  duty required of all who would    
obtain forgiveness for transgression1   
it indicates a godly sorrow for sin1    
producing a reformation of life1  and   
embodies 7#a7 a conviction of guilt2    
7#b7 a desire to escape the  hurtful    
effects of sin2 and 7#c7 an earnest     
determination to forsake  sin and to    
accomplish good4 ,repentance is a result
 of contrition of  soul1 which springs  
from a deep sense of humility1 and this 
in turn is  dependent upon the exercise 
of an abiding faith in ,god4 ,repentance
  therefore properly ranks as the second
 principle of the gospel1  closely      
associated with and immediately         
following faith4 ,as soon as  one has   
come to recognize the existence and     
authority of ,god1 he feels  a respect  
for ,divine laws1 and a conviction of   
his own unworthiness4  ,his wish to     
please the ,father1 whom he has so long 

neglected1 will  impel him to forsake   
sin2 and this impulse will acquire added
 strength  from the sinner's natural and
 commendable desire to escape1 if       
possible1 the dire results of his own   
waywardness4 ,with the zeal  inspired by
 fresh conviction1 he will crave an     
opportunity of showing  by good works   
the sincerity of his newly developed    
faith2 and he will  regard the remission
 of his sins as the most desirable of   
blessings4  ,then he will learn that    
this gift of mercy is granted on certain
  specific conditions only4#cae ,the    
first step toward the blessed state  of 
forgiveness consists in the sinner      
confessing his sins2 the second1  in his
 forgiving others who have sinned       
against him2 and the third in  his      
showing his acceptance of ,christ's     
atoning sacrifice by obeying  the       
,divine requirements4      #cae ,see    
,note #c4    #bj4 7#a47 ,confession of  
,sins is essential1 for without it      
repentance  is incomplete4 ,the ,apostle

 ,john tells us1 ,if we say that we have
 no  sin we deceive ourselves1 and the  
truth is not in us4 ,if we confess  our 
sins1 ,he is faithful and just to       
forgive us our sins1 and to  cleanse us 
from all unrighteousness4#caf ,we read  
also1 ,he that  covereth his sins shall 
not prosper1 but whoso confesseth and   
forsaketh them shall have mercy4#cag    
,and unto the ,saints in this           
dispensation the ,lord has said1 ,verily
 ,i say unto you1 ,i1 the ,lord1        
forgive sins unto those who confess     
their sins before me and ask            
forgiveness1 who have not sinned unto   
death4#cah ,and that this act  of       
confession is included in repentance is 
shown by the ,lord's words3  ,by this ye
 may know if a man repenteth of his     
sins3 ,behold he will  confess them and 
forsake them4#cai      #caf ,i ,john i1 
#h-i2 see also ,psalms xxxii1 #e2       
xxxviii1 #ah2 ,mosiah    xxvi1 #bi-cj4  
#cag ,prov4 xxviii1 #ac4      #cah ,doc4
 and ,cov4 lxiv1 #g4      #cai ,doc4 and

 ,cov4 lviii1 #dc4    #ba4 7#b47 ,the   
,sinner ,must be ,willing to ,forgive   
,others1 if he hopes  to obtain         
forgiveness4 ,surely his repentance is  
but superficial if his  heart be not    
softened to the degree of tolerance for 
the weaknesses of  his fellows4 ,in     
teaching ,his hearers how to pray1 the  
,savior  instructed them to supplicate  
the ,father3 ,forgive us our debts as we
  forgive our debtors4#cbj ,he led them 
not to hope for forgiveness if  in their
 hearts they forgave not one another3   
,for1 said ,he1 if ye  forgive men their
 trespasses1 your ,heavenly ,father will
 also forgive  you2 but if ye forgive   
not men their trespasses1 neither will  
your  ,father forgive your              
trespasses4#cba ,and forgiveness between
 man and  man1 to be acceptable before  
the ,lord1 must be unbounded4 ,in       
answering  ,peter's question1 ,lord1 how
 oft shall my brother sin against me1   
and  ,i forgive him--till seven times8  
the ,master said1 ,i say not unto  thee1

 until seven times2 but until seventy   
times seven2 clearly  intending to teach
 that man must ever be ready to forgive4
 ,on another  occasion ,he taught the   
disciples1 saying1 ,if thy brother      
trespass  against thee1 rebuke him1 and 
if he repent1 forgive him4 ,and if he   
trespass against thee seven times in a  
day1 and seven times in a day  turn     
again to thee saying1 ,i repent1 thou   
shalt forgive him4#cbb      #cbj ,matt4 
vi1 #ab2 see also ,luke xi1 #d4         
#cba ,matt4 vi1 #ad-ae2 ,,iii ,nephi    
xiii1 #ad-ae4      #cbb ,luke xvii1     
#c-d4    #bb4 ,illustrating further the 
,divine purpose to mete unto men the    
measure they mete unto their            
fellows1#cbc the ,savior put forth to   
,his  disciples a parable of a king1 to 
whom one of his subjects owed an        
enormous sum of money1 ten thousand     
talents2 but when the debtor  humbled   
himself and pleaded for mercy1 the      
compassionate heart of the  king was    
moved and he forgave his servant the    

debt4 ,but the same  servant1 going out 
from the presence of the king1 met a    
fellow-servant  who was indebted to him 
in a paltry sum2 forgetting the mercy so
  recently shown unto himself1 he seized
 his fellow-servant and cast him  into  
prison till he would pay the debt4 ,then
 the king1 hearing of  this1 sent for   
the wicked servant1 and1 denouncing him 
for his lack of  gratitude and          
consideration1 handed him over to the   
tormentors4#cbd  ,the ,lord will not    
listen to petitions nor accept an       
offering from one  who has bitterness in
 his heart toward others2 ,first be     
reconciled to  thy brother1 and then    
come and offer thy gift4#cbe ,in ,his   
revealed  word to the ,saints in this   
day1 the ,lord has placed particular    
stress  upon this necessary condition3  
,wherefore ,i say unto you that ye ought
  to forgive one another1 for he that   
forgiveth not his brother his           
trespasses1 standeth condemned before   
the ,lord1 for there remaineth  in him  

the greater sin2#cbf and to remove all  
doubt as to the proper  subjects for    
human forgiveness1 it is added3--,i1 the
 ,lord1 will  forgive whom ,i will      
forgive1 but of you it is required to   
forgive all  men4      #cbc ,matt4 vii1 
#b2 ,mark iv1 #bd2 ,luke vi1 #ch4       
#cbd ,matt4 xviii1 #bc-ce4 ,see ,jesus  
the ,christ1 pp4 #cib-cie4      #cbe    
,matt4 v1 #bc-bd3 ,,iii ,nephi xii1     
#bc-bd4      #cbf ,doc4 and ,cov4 lxiv1 
#i-aj4    #bc4 7#c47 ,confidence in     
,christ's ,atoning ,sacrifice           
constitutes the  third essential        
condition in obtaining remission of     
sins4 ,the name of  ,christ is the only 
name under heaven whereby men may be    
saved2#cbg  and we are taught to offer  
our petitions to the ,father in the name
 of  ,his ,son4 ,adam received this     
instruction from the mouth of an        
angel1#cbh and the ,savior personally   
instructed the ,nephites to the  same   
effect4#cbi ,but no person can          
truthfully profess faith in  ,christ1   

and refuse to obey ,his commandments2   
therefore obedience is  essential to    
remission of sin2 and the repentant     
sinner will eagerly  seek to learn what 
is further required of him4      #cbg   
,pearl of ,great ,price3 ,moses vi1 #eb4
      #cbh ,pearl of ,great ,price3     
,moses v1 #f-h4      #cbi ,,iii ,nephi  
xxvii1 #e-g4    #bd4 ,repentance1 to be 
worthy of its name1 must comprise       
something  more than a mere             
self-acknowledgment of error2 it does   
not consist in  lamentations and wordy  
confessions1 but in the heart-felt      
recognition  of guilt1 which carries    
with it a horror for sin1 and a resolute
  determination to make amends for the  
past and to do better in the  future4   
,if such a conviction be genuine1 it is 
marked by that godly  sorrow which1 as  
,paul has said1 worketh repentance to   
salvation1 not  to be repented of2 but  
the sorrow of the world worketh         
death4#ccj  ,apostle ,orson ,pratt has  
wisely said3--,it would be of no use for

 a  sinner to confess his sins to ,god1 
unless he were determined to  forsake   
them2 it would be of no benefit to him  
to feel sorry that he  had done wrong1  
unless he intended to do wrong no more2 
it would be  folly for him to confess   
before ,god that he had injured his     
fellow-man1 unless he were determined to
 do all in his power to make            
restitution4 ,repentance1 then1 is not  
only a confession of sins1 with  a      
sorrowful1 contrite heart1 but a fixed1 
settled purpose to refrain  from every  
evil way4      #ccj ,,ii ,cor4 vii4 #aj4
    #be4 ,repentance ,essential to      
,salvation4--,this evidence of          
sincerity1  this beginning of a better  
life1 is required of every candidate for
  salvation4 ,in the obtaining of       
,divine mercy1 repentance is as         
indispensable as faith1 it must be as   
extensive as sin4 ,where can we  find an
 absolutely sinless mortal8 ,sagely did 
the ,preacher of old  declare ,there is 
not a just man upon earth1 that doeth   

good and  sinneth not4#cca ,who1        
therefore1 has no need of forgiveness8  
who is  exempt from the requirements of 
repentance8 ,god has promised           
forgiveness unto those who truly repent 
before ,him1 it is unto such  that the  
advantages of individual salvation1     
through the atonement of  ,christ1 are  
extended4 ,isaiah thus admonishes to    
repentance1 with  assuring promises of  
forgiveness3 ,seek ye the ,lord while he
 may be  found1 call ye upon him while  
he is near4 ,let the wicked forsake his 
way1 and the unrighteous man his        
thoughts3 and let him return unto the   
,lord1 and he will have mercy upon him2 
and to our ,god1 for he will  abundantly
 pardon4#ccb      #cca ,eccl4 vii1 #bj2 
see also ,rom4 iii1 #aj2 ,i ,john i1 #h4
      #ccb ,isa4 iv1 #f-g2 see also ,,ii
 ,nephi ix1 #bd2 ,alma v1 #ca-cf1       
#di-ef2 ix1 #ab2 ,doc4 and ,cov4 i1     
#cb-cc2 xix1 #d2 xx1 #bi2 xxix1 #dd2    
cxxxiii1 #af4    #bf4 ,the burden of    
inspired teachers in every age has been 

the call  to repentance4 ,to this effect
 was heard the voice of ,john crying in 
the wilderness1 ,repent ye1 for the     
kingdom of heaven is at  hand4#ccc ,and 
the ,savior followed with ,repent ye and
 believe the  gospel1#ccd for ,except ye
 repent1 ye shall all likewise          
perish4#cce ,so too proclaimed the      
apostles of old1 that ,god  commandeth  
all men everywhere to repent4#ccf ,and  
in the present  dispensation has come   
the word1 ,we know that all men must    
repent1 and  believe on the name of     
,jesus ,christ 444 or they cannot be    
saved in the  kingdom of ,god4#ccg      
#ccc ,matt4 iii1 #b4      #ccd ,mark i1 
#ae4      #cce ,luke xiii1 #c4      #ccf
 ,acts xvii1 #cj4      #ccg ,doc4 and   
,cov4 xx1 #bi4    #bg4 ,repentance1 a   
,gift from ,god4--,repentance is a means
 of pardon1  and is therefore one of    
,god's great gifts to man4 ,it is not to
 be had  for the careless asking2 it may
 not be found upon the highway1 it is   
not of earth1 but a treasure of heaven1 

and is given with care1 yet  with       
boundless liberality unto those who have
 brought forth works that  warrant its  
bestowal4#cch ,that is to say1 all who  
prepare themselves  for repentance will1
 by the humbling and softening influence
 of the  ,holy ,spirit1 be led to the   
actual possession of this great gift4   
,when  ,peter was charged by his        
fellow-worshipers with a breach of law  
in  that he had associated with         
,gentiles1 he told his hearers of the   
,divine manifestations he had so        
recently received2 they believed and    
declared ,then hath ,god also to the    
,gentiles granted repentance unto       
life4#cci ,paul also1 in writing to the 
,romans1 teaches that  repentance comes 
through the goodness of ,god4#cdj       
#cch ,matt4 iii1 #g-h2 ,acts xxvi1 #bj4 
#cci ,acts xi1 #ah4      #cdj ,rom4 ii1 
#d2 see also ,,ii ,tim4 ii1 #be4    #bh4
 ,repentance not always ,possible4--,the
 gift of repentance is  extended to men 
as they humble themselves before the    

,lord1 it is the  testimony of the      
,spirit in their hearts2 if they hearken
 not unto the  monitor it will again    
leave them1 for the ,spirit of ,god     
strives not  ever with man4#cda         
,repentance becomes more difficult as   
the sin is  more wilful2 it is by       
humility and contrition of the heart    
that  sinners may increase their faith  
in ,god1 and so obtain from ,him the    
priceless gift of repentance4 ,as the   
time of repentance is  procrastinated1  
the ability to repent grows weaker2     
neglect of  opportunity in holy things  
brings a forfeit of the chance4 ,in     
giving  commandment to ,joseph ,smith1  
in the early days of the present        
,church1  the ,lord said1 ,for ,i the   
,lord cannot look upon sin with the     
least  degree of allowance2             
nevertheless1 he that repents and does  
the  commandments of the ,lord shall be 
forgiven1 and he that repents not1  from
 him shall be taken even the light which
 he has received1 for my  ,spirit shall 

not always strive with man saith the    
,lord of ,hosts4#cdb      #cda ,gen4 vi1
 #c2 ,doc4 and ,cov4 i1 #cc4      #cdb  
,doc4 and ,cov4 i1 #ca-cc4    #bi4      
,repentance ,here and ,hereafter4--,the 
,nephite prophet1 ,alma1  described the 
period of earthly existence as a        
probationary state1  granted unto man   
for repentance2#cdc yet we learn from   
the scriptures  that repentance may be  
obtained1 under certain conditions1     
beyond the  vail of mortality4 ,between 
the times of ,his death and             
resurrection1  ,christ preached unto the
 spirits in prison1 which sometime were 
disobedient when once the long suffering
 of ,god waited in the days of          
,noah2#cdd these the ,son visited1 and  
unto them ,he preached the  ,gospel1    
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#cde      #cdc  
,alma xii1 #bd2 xxxiv1 #cb2 xiii1 #d4   
#cdd ,i ,peter iii1 #ai-bj4      #cde   

,doc4 and ,cov4 lxxvi1 #gc-gd4 ,see     
,jesus the ,christ1 ch4    xxxvi4       
#cj4 ,yet no soul is justified in       
postponing his efforts to repent        
because of this assurance of ,god's     
long-suffering and mercy4 ,we know  not 
on what terms repentance will be        
obtainable in the hereafter1 but  it is 
unreasonable to suppose that the soul   
who has wilfully rejected  the          
opportunity of repentance in this life  
will find it easy to repent  there4 ,to 
procrastinate#cdf the day of repentance 
is to deliberately  place ourselves in  
the power of the adversary4 ,as ,amulek 
taught and  admonished the multitude of 
old3 ,for behold this life is the time  
for  men to prepare to meet ,god1 444   
therefore ,i beseech of you that ye do  
not procrastinate the day of your       
repentance unto the end4444 ,ye  cannot 
say when ye are brought to that awful   
crisis1 that ,i will  repent1 that ,i   
will return to my ,god4 ,nay1 ye cannot 
say this2 for  that same spirit which   

doth possess your bodies at the time    
that ye go  out of this life1 that same 
spirit will have power to possess your  
body in that eternal world4 ,for behold1
 if ye have procrastinated the  day of  
your repentance1 even until death1      
behold ye have become  subjected to the 
spirit of the devil1 and he doth seal   
you his4#cdg      #cdf ,alma xxxiv1 #cc4
      #cdg ,alma xxxiv1 #cb-ce4         
,,notes4         #a4 ,example of ,false 
,faith4--,when ,europeans first began   
their       explorations in the ,new    
,world1 the ,indians whom they met were 
much amazed at the power and explosive  
properties of gun-powder1       and     
asked many questions respecting the     
manner in which it was       produced4  
,the ,europeans1 taking advantage of the
 ignorance of the       savages1 and    
seeing an opportunity to increase their 
wealth by       the deception1 told the 
,indians that it was the seed of a plant
       which grew in the lands they had 
come from1 and doubtless it       would 

thrive in their land also4 ,the         
,indians1 of course1 believed       this
 statement1 and purchased the supposed  
seed1 giving in       exchange for it   
large quantities of gold4 ,in implicit  
faith they       carefully planted the  
supposed seed1 and anxiously watched for
       its sprouting and the appearance 
of the plant2 but it never came4        
,they had faith in the statements made  
to them by the ,europeans1       but as 
these statements were false1 and        
therefore the evidence on       which   
the ,indians based their belief untrue1 
their faith was       vain4--,orson     
,pratt4         #b4 ,the ,sectarian     
,dogma of ,justification by ,faith alone
 has       exercised an influence for   
evil since the early days of            
,christianity4 ,the idea upon which this
 pernicious doctrine was       founded  
was at first associated with that of an 
absolute       predestination1 by which 
man was fore-doomed to destruction1 or  
to an utterly undeserved salvation4     

,thus1 ,luther taught as                
follows3--,the excellent1 infallible1   
and sole preparation for       grace is 
the eternal election and predestination 
of ,god4 ,since       the fall of man1  
free-will is but an idle word4 ,a man   
who       imagines to arrive at grace by
 doing all that he is able to do1       
adds sin to sin1 and is doubly guilty4  
,that man is not       justified who    
performs many works2 but he who without 
works has       much faith in ,christ4  
7,for these and other doctrines of the  
so-called ,reformation1 see ,d',aubign's
 ,history of the       ,reformation1    
vol4 i1 pp4 #hb1 #hc1 #aai1 #abb47 ,in  
,miller's ,church       ,history 7vol4  
iv1 p4 #ead7 we read3 ,the point which  
the reformer       ,luther had most at  
heart in all his labors1 contests1 and  
dangers1 was the justification by faith 
alone4 ,melanchthon       voices the    
doctrine of ,luther in these words3     
,man's       justification before ,god  
proceeds from faith alone4 ,this faith  

enters man's heart by the grace of ,god 
alone2 and further1 ,as       all things
 which happen1 happen necessarily       
according to the       divine           
predestination1 there is no such thing  
as liberty in our       wills           
7,d',aubign1 vol4 iii1 p4 #cdj74 ,it is 
true that ,luther       strongly        
denounced1 and vehemently disclaimed    
responsibility for1       the excesses  
to which this teaching gave rise1 yet he
 was not       less vigorous in         
proclaiming the doctrine4 ,note his     
words3--,i1       ,doctor ,martin       
,luther1 unworthy herald of the gospel  
of our ,lord       ,jesus ,christ1      
confess this article1 that faith alone  
without       works justifies before    
,god2 and ,i declare that it shall stand
 and       remain forever in despite of 
the emperor of the ,romans1 the         
emperor of the ,turks1 the emperor of   
the ,persians1--in spite of       the   
pope and all the cardinals1 with the    
bishops1 priests1 monks1       and      

nuns1--in spite of kings1 princes1 and  
nobles1 and in spite       of all the   
world and of the devils themselves2 and 
that if they       endeavor to fight    
against this truth they will draw the   
fires of       hell upon their heads4   
,this is the true and holy gospel1 and  
the       declaration of me1 ,doctor    
,luther1 according to the teachings of  
the ,holy ,ghost 7,d',aubign1 vol4 i1 p4
 #gj74         ,fletcher 7,end of       
,religious ,controversy1 p4 #ij7        
illustrates the       vicious extreme to
 which this evil doctrine led1 by       
accusing one       of its adherents with
 having said1 ,even adultery and murder 
do       not hurt the pleasant children1
 but rather work for their good4        
,god sees no sin in believers1 whatever 
sin they may commit4444 ,it       is a  
most pernicious error of the schoolmen  
to distinguish sins       according to  
the fact1 and not according to the      
person4 ,though ,i       blame those who
 say1 let us sin that grace may abound1 

yet       adultery1 incest1 and murder1 
shall upon the whole1 make me           
holier on earth1 and merrier in heaven4 
,a summary of the medival controversy   
regarding the means of       grace1     
including the doctrines of ,luther and  
others1 is presented       in ,roberts' 
,outlines of ,ecclesiastical ,history1  
part iii1       section ii1 to which the
 student is referred4 ,the quotations   
given above are incorporated therein4   
#c4 ,forgiveness not always             
,immediate4--,on account of the         
magnitude of sins committed1 repentance 
is not always followed by               
forgiveness and restoration4 ,for       
instance1 when ,peter was               
preaching to the ,jews1 who had slain   
,jesus and taken ,his blood on          
themselves and their children1 he did   
not say1 repent and be       baptized   
for the remission of sins2 but1 ',repent
 ye therefore1       and be converted1  
that your sins may be blotted out1 when 
the       times of refreshing shall come

 from the presence of the ,lord2 and    
when ,he shall send ,jesus ,christ1     
which before was preached unto    you2  
whom the heaven must receive until the  
times of the    restitution of all      
things' 7,acts iii1 #ai-ba74 ,that is1  
repent now1    and believe in ,jesus    
,christ1 that you may be forgiven when  
,he whom    you have slain shall come   
again in the days of the restitution of 
all things2 and prescribe to you the    
terms on which you may be               
saved4--,compendium1 p4 #bh4            
,,lecture ,,vi4    ,,baptism4           
,article #d4--,we believe that the first
 principles and ordinances       of the 
,gospel are3--444 7#c7 ,baptism by      
immersion for the       remission of    
sins2 444      #a4 ,nature of           
,baptism4--,among the ,latter-day       
,saints1 water baptism  ranks as the    
third principle1 and the first essential
 ordinance1 of  the gospel4 ,baptism is 
the gateway leading into the fold of    
,christ1  the portal to the ,church1 the

 established rite of naturalization in  
the kingdom of ,god4 ,the candidate for 
admission into the ,church and  kingdom1
 having obtained and professed faith in 
the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1  and having   
sincerely repented of his sins1 is      
properly required to  give evidence of  
this spiritual sanctification by some   
outward  ordinance1 prescribed by       
authority as the sign or symbol of the  
new  profession4 ,the initiatory        
ordinance is baptism by water1 to be    
followed by the higher baptism of the   
,holy ,spirit2 and1 as a result of  this
 act of obedience1 remission of sins is 
granted4    #b4 ,how simple are the     
means thus ordained for admission into  
the  fold2 they are within the reach of 
the poorest and weakest1 as also of  the
 rich and powerful6 ,what symbol more   
expressive of a cleansing from  sin     
could be given1 than that of baptism in 
water8 ,baptism is made a  sign of the  
covenant entered into between the       
repentant sinner and his  ,maker1 that  

thereafter he will seek to observe the  
,divine commands4  ,concerning this     
fact1 the ,prophet ,alma thus admonished
 and instructed  the people of          
,gideon3--,yea1 ,i say unto you1 come   
and fear not1 and  lay aside every sin1 
which easily doth beset you1 which doth 
bind you  down to destruction1 yea1 come
 and go forth1 and show unto your ,god  
that ye are willing to repent of your   
sins1 and enter into a covenant  with   
him to keep his commandments1 and       
witness it unto him this day1  by going 
into the waters of baptism4#cdh         
#cdh ,alma vii1 #ae4    #c4 ,the humbled
 sinner1 convicted of his transgression1
 through the  bestowal of ,god's good   
gifts of faith and repentance1 will hail
 most  joyfully any means of cleansing  
himself from pollution1 now so          
repulsive in his eyes2 all such will cry
 out as did the stricken  ,jewish       
multitude at ,pentecost1 ,what shall we 
do8 ,unto such comes the  answering     
voice of the ,spirit1 through the medium

 of scripture1 or by  the mouths of the 
,lord's appointed servants1 ,repent and 
be baptized  every one of you in the    
name of ,jesus ,christ1 for the         
remission of  sins4#cdi ,springing forth
 as a result of contrition of soul1     
baptism  has been very appropriately    
called the first fruits of              
repentance4#cej      #cdi ,acts ii1     
#cg-ch4      #cej ,moroni viii1 #be4    
#d4 ,the ,establishment of ,baptism     
dates from the time of the earliest     
history of the race4 ,when the ,lord    
manifested ,himself to ,adam after  the 
expulsion from the ,garden of ,eden1 ,he
 promised the patriarch of  the race1   
,if thou wilt turn unto me and hearken  
unto my voice1 and  believe1 and repent 
of all thy transgressions1 and be       
baptized1 even  in water1 in the name of
 mine ,only ,begotten ,son1 who is full 
of grace  and truth1 which is ,jesus    
,christ1 the only name which shall be   
given  under heaven1 whereby salvation  
shall come unto the children of men1  ye

 shall receive the gift of the ,holy    
,ghost1 asking all things in ,his  name1
 and whatsoever ye shall ask1 it shall  
be given you4444 ,and it  came to pass1 
when the ,lord had spoken with ,adam1   
our father1 that  ,adam cried unto the  
,lord1 and he was caught away by the    
,spirit of the  ,lord1 and was carried  
down into the water1 and was laid under 
the  water1 and was brought forth out of
 the water4 ,and thus he was  baptized1 
and the ,spirit of ,god descended upon  
him1 and thus he was  born of the       
,spirit1 and became quickened in the    
inner man4#cea ,enoch  preached the     
doctrine of repentance and baptism1 and 
did baptize the  people1 and as many as 
accepted these teachings and submitted  
to the  requirements of the gospel1     
became sanctified and holy in the sight 
of  ,god4      #cea ,pearl of ,great    
,price3 ,moses vi1 #eb-fe4    #e4 ,the  
,special ,purpose of ,baptism is to     
afford admission to the  ,church of     
,christ with remission of sins4 ,what   

need of more words to  prove the worth  
of this divinely appointed ordinance8   
,what gift could  be offered the human  
race greater than a ready means of      
obtaining  forgiveness for              
transgression8 ,justice forbids the     
granting of  universal and unconditional
 pardon for sins committed1 except      
through  obedience to ordained law2 but 
means simple and effective are          
provided1 whereby the penitent sinner   
may enter into a covenant with  ,god1   
sealing that covenant with the sign that
 commands recognition in  heaven1 that  
he will submit himself to the laws of   
,god2 thus he places  himself within the
 reach of ,mercy1 under whose protecting
 influence he  may win eternal life4    
#f4 ,biblical ,proofs1 that baptism is  
designed as a means of  securing to man 
a remission of his sins1 are abundant4  
,john the  ,baptist was the special     
preacher of this doctrine in the days   
immediately preceding the ,savior's     
ministry in the flesh2 and the  voice of

 this priest of the desert stirred      
,jerusalem and reverberated  through all
 ,juda1 proclaiming remission of sins as
 the fruits of  acceptable baptism4#ceb 
#ceb ,mark i1 #d2 ,luke iii1 #c4    #g4 
,saul of ,tarsus1 a zealous persecutor  
of the followers of ,christ1  while     
journeying to ,damascus1 intent on a    
further exercise of his  ill-directed   
zeal1 received a special manifestation  
of the power of  ,god1 and was converted
 with signs and wonders4 ,he heard and  
answered  the voice of ,christ1 and thus
 became a special witness of his ,lord4 
,yet even this unusual demonstration of 
,divine favor was insufficient4         
,blinded through the glory that had been
 manifested unto him1 humbled  and      
earnest1 awakening to the terrible fact 
that he had been  persecuting his       
,redeemer1 he exclaimed in anguish of   
soul1 ,what shall  ,i do1 ,lord8 ,he was
 directed to go to ,damascus1 there to  
learn more of  ,god's will concerning   
him4 ,gladly did he receive the ,lord's 

messenger1  devout ,ananias1 who        
ministered unto him so that he regained 
his sight1  and then taught him baptism 
as a means of obtaining forgiveness4#cec
      #cec ,acts xxii1 #a-af4    #h4    
,and ,saul1 known now as ,paul1         
thereafter a preacher of  righteousness1
 and an apostle of the ,lord ,jesus     
,christ1 taught to  others the same     
great saving principle1 that by baptism 
in water comes  regeneration from       
sin4#ced ,in forceful language1 and     
attended with  special evidences of     
,divine power1 ,peter declared the same 
doctrine to  the penitent multitude4    
,overcome with grief at the recital of  
what  they had done to the ,son of ,god1
 they cried out ,men and brethren1  what
 shall we do8 ,promptly came the answer1
 with apostolic authority1  ,repent1 and
 be baptized every one of you in the    
name of ,jesus ,christ  for the         
remission of sins4#cee      #ced ,titus 
iii1 #e4      #cee ,acts ii1 #cf-cg2 see
 also ,i ,peter iii1 #ba4    #i4 ,book  

of ,mormon prophets gave the same       
testimony to the western  fold of       
,christ4 ,to this effect were the words 
of ,nephi1 the son of  ,lehi1 addressed 
to his brethren3--,for the gate by which
 ye should  enter1 is repentance1 and   
baptism by water2 and then cometh a     
remission of your sins by fire1 and by  
the ,holy ,ghost4#cef ,so did  ,alma    
teach the people of ,gideon1 as already 
quoted4#ceg ,nephi1 the  grandson of    
,helaman1 immediately preceding         
,christ's advent upon earth1  went forth
 amongst his people1 baptizing unto     
repentance1 from which  followed a great
 remission of sins4#ceh ,nephi ordained 
assistants  in the ministry1 that all   
such as should come unto them1 should be
  baptized with water1 and this as a    
witness and a testimony before ,god1    
and unto the people1 that they had      
repented and received a remission  of   
their sins4#cei ,mormon adds his own    
testimony1 as commissioned of  ,christ1 
exhorting the people to forsake their   

sins and be baptized for  remission     
thereof4#cfj      #cef ,,ii ,nephi xxxi1
 #ag4      #ceg ,alma vii1 #ad-ae2 see  
page #abb4      #ceh ,,iii ,nephi i1    
#bc4      #cei ,,iii ,nephi vii1 #bd-bf4
      #cfj ,,iii ,nephi xxx1 #b4    #aj4
 ,modern ,revelation1 concerning baptism
 and its object1 shows  that the same   
importance is ascribed by the ,lord to  
the ordinance  today as in earlier      
times4 ,that there may be no question as
 to the  application of this doctrine to
 the ,church in the present             
dispensation1 the principle has been    
re-stated1 the law has been  re-enacted 
for our guidance4 ,the elders of the    
,church are commissioned  to preach the 
remission of sins as obtainable through 
the means of  authorized baptism4#cfa   
#cfa ,doc4 and ,cov4 xix1 #ca2 lv1 #b2  
lxviii1 #bg2 lxxvi1 #ea1 #eb2    lxxxiv1
 #bg1 #gd4    #aa4 ,fit ,candidates for 
,baptism4--,the prime object of baptism 
being  admission to the ,church1 with   
remission of sins1 and this coming only 

through the exercise of faith in ,god   
and true repentance before ,him1  it    
naturally follows that baptism can in   
justice be required of those  only who  
are capable of exercising faith and of  
working  repentance4#cfb ,in a          
revelation on ,church government given  
through  ,joseph the ,prophet1 ,april1  
#ahcj1 the ,lord specifically states the
  conditions under which persons may be 
received into the ,church  through      
baptism3 these are ,his words3--,all    
those who humble  themselves before     
,god1 and desire to be baptized1 and    
come forth with  broken hearts and      
contrite spirits1 and witness before the
 ,church that  they have truly repented 
of all their sins1 and are willing to   
take  upon them the name of ,jesus      
,christ1 having a determination to serve
  him to the end1 and truly manifest by 
their works that they have  received of 
the ,spirit of ,christ unto the         
remission of their sins1  shall be      
received by baptism into his            

,church4#cfc      #cfb ,see ,note #a4   
#cfc ,doc4 and ,cov4 xx1 #cg4    #ab4   
,such conditions exclude all who have   
not arrived at the age of  discretion   
and responsibility2 and by special      
commandment the ,lord has  forbidden the
 ,church to receive any who have not    
attained to such  age4#cfd ,by          
revelation1 the ,lord has designated    
eight years as the  age at which        
children may be properly baptized into  
the ,church1 and  parents are required  
to prepare their children for the       
ordinances of  the ,church1 by teaching 
them the doctrines of faith1 repentance1
  baptism1 and the gift of the ,holy    
,ghost4 ,failure in this requirement  is
 accounted by the ,lord as a sin resting
 upon the heads of the  parents4#cfe    
#cfd ,doc4 and ,cov4 xx1 #ga4      #cfe 
,doc4 and ,cov4 lxviii1 #be-bg4    #ac4 
,infant ,baptism4--,the ,latter-day     
,saints are opposed to the  practice of 
infant baptism1 which indeed they       
believe to be sacrilege  in the eyes of 

,god4 ,no one having faith in the word  
of ,god can look  upon the child as     
impure2 such an innocent being needs no 
initiation  into the fold1 for it has   
never strayed therefrom2 it needs no    
remission of sins1 for it is sinless2   
and should it die before it has  become 
contaminated by the sins of earth1 it   
will be received again1  without        
baptism1 into the presence of its ,god4 
,yet there are many  professedly        
,christian teachers who declare that as 
all children are  born into a wicked    
world1 they are themselves wicked1 and  
must be  cleansed in the waters of      
baptism to be made acceptable to ,god4  
,how  heinous is such a doctrine6--the  
child to whom the ,savior pointed as  an
 example of emulation of those even who 
had received the holy  apostleship1#cff 
the ,lord's selected type of the kingdom
 of heaven1  the favored spirits whose  
angels stand forever in the presence of 
the  ,father1 faithfully reporting all  
that may be done unto their sacred      

charges#cfg--such souls are to be       
rejected and cast into torment  because 
their earthly guardians failed to have  
them baptized6 ,to teach  such a        
doctrine is sin4      #cff ,matt4 xviii1
 #a-f4      #cfg ,verse #aj4    #ad4    
,the ,history of ,infant ,baptism is    
instructive1 as throwing light  upon the
 origin of this erratic practice4 ,it is
 certain that the  baptism of infants1  
or pedobaptism 7,greek paidos1 child1   
and  baptismos1 baptism7 as it is styled
 in theological lore1 was not  taught by
 the ,savior1 nor by ,his apostles4     
,some point to the incident  of ,christ 
blessing little children1 and rebuking  
those who would  forbid the little ones 
coming unto ,him1#cfh as an evidence in 
favor  of infant baptism2 but1 as has   
been wisely and tersely remarked3--,from
  the action of ,christ's blessing      
infants1 to infer they are to be        
baptized1 proves nothing so much as that
 there is a want of better  argument2   
for the conclusion would with more      

probability be derived  thus3 ,christ   
blessed infants1 and so dismissed them1 
but baptized them  not2 therefore       
infants are not to be baptized4         
#cfh ,matt4 xix1 #ac2 ,mark x1 #ac2     
,luke xviii1 #ae4    #ae4 ,there is no  
authentic record of infant baptism      
having been  practiced during the first 
two centuries after ,christ1 and the    
custom  probably did not become general 
till the fifth century2 from the        
last-named time until the ,reformation1 
however1 it was accepted by the         
dominant church organization4 ,but even 
during that dark age1 many  theological 
disputants raised their voices against  
this unholy  rite4#cfi ,in the early    
part of the sixteenth century1 a sect   
rose  into prominence in ,germany1 under
 the name of ,anabaptists 7,greek  ana1 
again1 and baptizo1 baptize71           
distinguished for its  opposition to the
 practice of infant baptism1 and        
deriving its name  from the requirement 
made of all its members who had been    

baptized in  infancy that they be       
baptized again4 ,this denomination1     
commonly  called the ,baptists1 has     
become greatly divided by internal      
disputes2  but in general1 the ,baptists
 have maintained a unity of belief in   
opposing the baptism of irresponsible   
children4      #cfi ,see ,note #b4      
#af4 ,some pedobaptists have attempted  
to prove an analogy between  baptism and
 circumcision2 but for such position    
there is no scriptural  warrant4        
,circumcision was made the mark of a    
covenant between ,god and  ,his chosen  
servant ,abraham1#cgj a symbol regarded 
by the posterity of  ,abraham as        
indicative of their freedom from the    
idolatry of the times1  and of ,god's   
acceptance of them2 and nowhere is      
circumcision made a  means for remission
 of sins4 ,that rite was applicable to  
males only2  baptism is administered to 
both sexes4 ,circumcision was to be     
performed on the eighth day after birth1
 even though such should fall  on the   

,sabbath4#cga ,in the third century a   
council of bishops was  held under the  
presidency of ,cyprian1 ,bishop of      
,carthage1 at which it  was gravely     
determined1 that to postpone baptism    
until the eighth day  after birth was   
dangerous1 and consequently not to be   
allowed4      #cgj ,gen4 xvii1 #a-ad4   
#cga ,john vii1 #bb-bc4    #ag4 ,infant 
,baptism is ,forbidden in the ,book of  
,mormon1 from which  fact we know that  
disputation upon this subject must have 
arisen among  the ,nephites4 ,mormon1   
having received special revelation from 
the  ,lord concerning the matter1 wrote 
an epistle thereon to his son  ,moroni1 
in which he denounces the practice of   
infant baptism1 and  declares that any  
one who supposeth that little children  
need baptism  is in the gall of         
bitterness1 and in the bonds of         
iniquity1 denying  the mercies of       
,christ1 and setting at naught ,his     
atonement and the  power of ,his        
redemption4#cgb      #cgb ,moroni viii4 

,read the entire epistle4    #ah4       
,baptism ,essential to                  
,salvation4--,most of the proofs        
concerning  the object of baptism apply 
with equal force to the proposition that
  baptism is necessary for salvation2   
for1 inasmuch as remission of sins      
constitutes a special purpose of        
baptism1 and as no soul can be saved  in
 the kingdom of ,god with unforgiven    
sins1 it is plain that baptism  is      
essential to salvation4 ,salvation is   
promised to man on condition  of his    
obedience to the commands of ,god2 and1 
as the scriptures  conclusively prove1  
baptism is one of the most important of 
such  requirements4 ,baptism1 being     
commanded of ,god1 must be essential to 
the purpose for which it is instituted1 
for our ,father deals not with          
unnecessary forms4 ,baptism is required 
of all who have attained to  years of   
accountability2 none are exempt4    #ai4
 ,even ,christ1 standing as a man       
without sin in the midst of a  sinful   

world1 was baptized1 to fulfill all     
righteousness1#cgc such  being the      
purpose1 as declared by the ,savior     
,himself to the hesitating  priest1 who1
 zealous as he was for his great        
mission1 yet demurred  when asked to    
baptize ,one whom he considered sinless4
 ,centuries before  the great event1    
,nephi1 prophesying among the people in 
the western  world1 fore-told the       
baptism of the ,savior1 and beautifully 
explained  how righteousness would be   
thereby fulfilled3#cgd--;,and now if the
  ,lamb of ,god1 he being holy1 should  
have need to be baptized by water  to   
fulfill all righteousness1 ,o1 then1 how
 much more need have we1  being unholy1 
to be baptized8      #cgc ,matt4 iii1   
#ae4      #cgd ,,ii ,nephi xxxi1 #e-h4  
#bj4 ,the words of the ,savior1 spoken  
while ,he ministered in the  flesh1     
declare baptism to be essential to      
salvation4 ,one of the rulers  of the   
,jews1 ,nicodemus1 came to ,christ by   
night and made a profession  of         

confidence in the instructions of the   
,savior1 whom he designated as  a       
teacher come from ,god4 ,seeing his     
faith1 ,jesus taught unto him one  of   
the chief laws of heaven1 saying3       
,except a man be born again1 he  cannot 
see the kingdom of ,god4 ,a question by 
,nicodemus called forth  from the       
,savior the additional declaration1     
,verily1 verily ,i say unto  thee1      
except a man be born of water and of the
 ,spirit1 he cannot enter  into the     
kingdom of ,god4#cge ,it is practically 
indisputable1 that  the watery birth    
here referred to as essential to        
entrance into the  kingdom is baptism4  
,we learn further1 concerning ,christ's 
attitude  toward baptism1 that ,he      
required the ordinance of those who     
professed  to become ,his disciples4#cgf
 ,when appearing to the ,eleven in ,his 
resurrected state1 giving them ,his     
farewell blessing and final  commission1
 ,he commanded them3 ,go ye1 therefore1 
and teach all  nations1 baptizing them  

in the name of the ,father1 and of the  
,son1 and  of the ,holy ,ghost2#cgg and1
 concerning the results of baptism1 ,he 
taught them1 that ,he that believeth and
 is baptized shall be saved1  but he    
that believeth not shall be damned4#cgh 
#cge ,john iii1 #a-e4      #cgf ,john   
iv1 #a-b4      #cgg ,matt4 xxviii1 #ai4 
#cgh ,mark xvi1 #af4    #ba4 ,plain as  
seems the spirit of these instructions  
and promises1  there are nevertheless   
many who1 while professing to teach the 
doctrine of the ,redeemer1 evade the    
meaning of ,his precepts1 and  declare  
that because ,he said he that believeth 
not shall be damned1  instead of he that
 is not baptized shall be damned1       
baptism is after  all not an essential1 
but a mere convenience or simple        
propriety1 in  the plan of salvation4   
,it is a mockery of faith to profess    
belief in  ,christ while refusing to    
abide by ,his commandments4 ,to believe 
the  word of ,god and do it not1 is to  
increase our culpability2 such a  course

 but adds hypocrisy to other sin4       
,surely the full penalty  provided for  
wilful unbelief will fall to the lot of 
the professed  believer who refuses to  
yield obedience to the very principles  
in  which he boasts of having faith4    
,and what can be said of the sincerity  
of one who refuses to obey the ,divine  
commands except there be  specific      
penalties provided for disobedience8    
,can such a one's  repentance be        
sincere1 when he now is submissive only 
through fear of  punishment8 ,however1  
in stating this principle for the       
government of  the ,saints in the       
present dispensation1 the ,lord's words 
are more  particular and specific1 ,and 
he that believeth and is baptized shall 
be saved1 and he that believeth not1 and
 is not baptized1 shall be  damned4#cgi 
#cgi ,doc4 and ,cov4 cxii1 #bi4    #bb4 
,the same doctrine concerning the       
necessity of baptism was  preached by   
the disciples of ,christ1 particularly  
those who were  immediately associated  

with ,him in the ministry4 ,john the    
,baptist  testifies that he had been    
appointed to baptize with water1#chj    
and1  concerning those who accepted     
,john's teachings1 the ,savior declared 
that they1 even though they were        
publicans1 justified ,god1 while the    
,pharisees and lawyers who refused to be
 baptized1 rejected the  counsels of    
,god against themselves1#cha thereby1   
most assuredly  forfeiting their claim  
to salvation4 ,as already pointed out1  
,peter1  the chief of the apostles1 had 
but one answer to give to the eager     
multitude seeking to know the essentials
 of salvation1 ,repent and be  baptized1
 every one of you4#chb      #chj ,john  
i1 #cc4      #cha ,luke vii1 #cj4       
#chb ,acts ii1 #ch2 see also ,i ,peter  
iii1 #ba4    #bc4 ,christ's humble      
compliance with the will of ,his        
,father1 by  submitting to baptism even 
though ,he stood sinless1 surely        
declares to  the world in language more 
forceful than words that none are exempt

  from this condition1 that baptism     
indeed is a requisite for salvation4    
,so1 no evidence of ,divine favor1 no   
bestowal of heavenly gifts1  excuses man
 from obedience to this and other       
requirements of the  gospel4 ,some      
illustrations of this fact have been    
given in connection  with the purpose of
 baptism4 ,saul of ,tarsus1 though      
permitted to hear  the voice of ,his    
,redeemer1 could only enter the ,church 
of ,christ  through the portals of      
baptism by water and by the ,holy       
,ghost4#chc  ,afterward he preached     
baptism1 declaring that by that         
ordinance may  we put on ,christ1       
becoming the children of ,god4          
,cornelius1 the  centurion1 was         
acknowledged of ,god through prayers and
 alms1 and an  angel came to him1 and   
instructed him to send for ,peter1 who  
would  tell him what to do4 ,the        
apostle1 having been specially prepared 
by  the ,lord for this mission1 entered 
the house of the penitent ,gentile1     

though to do such1 was to violate the   
customs of the ,jews2 and taught  him   
and his family of ,christ ,jesus4 ,even 
while ,peter was speaking1 the  ,holy   
,ghost fell upon his hearers1 so that   
they testified by the gift  of tongues1 
and greatly glorified ,god4#chd ,yet the
 bestowal of such  great gifts in no    
degree exempted them from compliance    
with the law of  baptism2 and ,peter    
commanded them to be baptized in the    
name of the  ,lord4      #chc ,acts ix1 
#a-ah2 xxii1 #a-af4      #chd ,acts x1  
#cj-dh4    #bd4 ,christ's ministers on  
the western continent were not less     
energetic in promulgating the doctrine  
of baptism4 ,lehi#che and his  son      
,nephi1#chf each testified of the       
baptism of the ,savior1 and of  the     
absolute necessity of baptism by water  
and by the ,holy ,ghost on  the part of 
all seekers after salvation4 ,nephi     
beautifully compares  repentance and    
baptism by water and the ,spirit to the 
gate leading  into the fold of          

,christ4#chg ,alma the first preached   
baptism as  indispensable to salvation1 
calling upon the people to witness unto 
the ,lord by their observance of this   
principle1 that they covenanted  to keep
 ,his commandments4 ,the second ,alma1  
son of the former1  proclaimed baptism  
as a means of salvation1 and consecrated
 ministers  to baptize4#chh      #che ,i
 ,nephi x1 #g-aj4      #chf ,,ii ,nephi 
xxxi1 #d-ad4      #chg ,,ii ,nephi xxxi1
 #ag4      #chh ,mos4 xviii1 #h-ag2     
,alma v1 #fa1 #fb2 ix1 #bg4    #be4     
,during the last century preceding the  
birth of ,christ1 the work  of ,god     
among the ,lamanites was begun1 by the  
preaching of faith1  repentance1 and    
baptism2 ,ammon declared this doctrine  
to ,king ,lamoni  and his people4#chi   
,helaman preached baptism2#cij and in   
the time of  his ministry1 less than    
half a century before ,christ's advent  
on  earth1 we read that tens of         
thousands united themselves with the    
,church1 by baptism4 ,so also preached  

,helaman's sons1#cia and his  grandson  
,nephi4#cib ,these baptisms were        
performed in the name of the  ,messiah  
who was to come2 but when ,he came to   
,his western flock1 ,he  directed that  
they should be baptized in the name of  
the ,father1 and  of the ,son1 and of   
the ,holy ,ghost2 and bestowed upon     
twelve chosen  servants the authority to
 officiate in the ordinance1#cic        
promising  the riches of ,heaven unto   
all who would comply with ,his law1 and 
unto  such only4      #chi ,alma xix1   
#ce4      #cij ,alma lxii1 #de4         
#cia ,hel4 v1 #ad-ai4      #cib ,,iii   
,nephi i1 #bc4      #cic ,,iii ,nephi   
xi1 #bb-be2 xii1 #a-b4    #bf4 ,evidence
 is abundant that the ,savior regarded  
the baptized state  as an essential     
condition of membership in ,his ,church2
 thus1 when  instituting the sacrament  
among the ,nephites1 ,he instructed ,his
  disciples to administer it unto those 
only who had been properly              
baptized4#cid ,further1 we are informed 

that those who were baptized  as ,jesus 
had directed1 were called the ,church of
 ,christ4#cie ,true to  the ,savior's   
promise1 the ,holy ,ghost came to those 
who were baptized  by ,his ordained     
authority1 thus adding to water-baptism 
the higher  baptism of fire and the     
,holy ,ghost2#cif and many of them      
received  wonderful manifestations of   
the ,divine approval1 seeing and hearing
  unspeakable things1 not lawful to be  
written4 ,the faith of the people       
showed itself in good works1#cig in     
prayers and fasting1#cih in             
acknowledgment of which ,christ         
reappeared1 this time manifesting       
,himself to the ,disciples whom ,he had 
called to the ministry2 and unto  them  
he reiterated the former promises       
regarding all who were baptized  of     
,him2 and to this ,he added1 that1      
provided they endured to the end1  they 
should be held guiltless in the day of  
judgment4#cii ,on that  occasion1 ,he   
repeated the commandment through        

obedience to which  salvation is        
promised3--,repent all ye ends of the   
earth1 and come  unto me1 and be        
baptized in my name1 that ye may be     
sanctified by the  reception of the     
,holy ,ghost1 that ye may stand spotless
 before me at  the last day4#djj        
#cid ,,iii ,nephi xviii1 #e1 #aa1       
#bc-cj4      #cie ,,iii ,nephi xxvi1    
#ba4      #cif ,,iii ,nephi xxvi1       
#ag-ah2 xxviii1 #ah2 ,,iv ,nephi i1 #a4 
#cig ,,iii ,nephi xxvi1 #ai-bj4         
#cih ,,iii ,nephi xxvii1 #a-b4      #cii
 ,,iii ,nephi xxvii1 #af4      #djj     
,,iii ,nephi xxvii1 #bj4    #bg4 ,nearly
 four centuries later1 we hear the same 
proclamation from  the lips of          
,mormon4#dja ,and ,moroni1 his son1 the 
solitary  representative of a once      
mighty people1 while mourning the       
destruction of his kindred1 leaves what 
at the time he supposed would  be his   
farewell testimony to the truth of this 
doctrine2#djb then  being spared        
contrary to his expectations1 he reverts

 again to the  sacred theme1 realizing  
the incalculable worth of the doctrine  
unto  any and all who would read his    
pages2 and in what might be regarded as 
his last words1 he testifies to baptism 
by water and the ,spirit as the  means  
of salvation4#djc      #dja ,mormon vii1
 #h-aj4      #djb ,mormon ix1 #bb-bc4   
#djc ,moroni vi1 #a-d4    #bh4 ,and this
 great principle1 proclaimed of old1    
remains unaltered  today2 it is truth   
and changes not4 ,the elders of the     
,church today  have been commissioned in
 almost the same words as were used in  
authorizing the apostles of old3--,go ye
 into all the world1 preach  the gospel 
to every creature1 acting in the        
authority which ,i have  given you1     
baptizing in the name of the ,father1   
and of the ,son1 and of  the ,holy      
,ghost2 and he that believeth and is    
baptized shall be saved1  and he that   
believeth not shall be damned4#djd ,and 
again1 hear the  word of the ,lord      
through ,joseph the ,prophet unto the   

elders of the  ,church3--,therefore1 as 
,i said unto mine apostles ,i say unto  
you  again1 that every soul who         
believeth on your words1 and is baptized
 by  water for the remission of sins    
shall receive the ,holy ,ghost4 ,but1   
verily1 verily ,i say unto you1 they who
 believe not on your words1  and are not
 baptized in water1 in my name1 for the 
remission of their  sins1 that they may 
receive the ,holy ,ghost1 shall be      
damned1 and shall  not come into my     
,father's kingdom where my ,father and  
,i am4#dje ,in  obedience to these      
commands1 the elders of this ,church    
have continued  to proclaim the gospel  
among the nations1 preaching faith1     
repentance1  and baptism by water and   
the ,holy ,ghost1 as essential to       
salvation4      #djd ,doc4 and ,cov4    
lxviii1 #h-i4      #dje ,doc4 and ,cov4 
lxxxiv1 #fd1 #gd2 see also cxii1 #bh-bi4
    #bi4 ,we have examined the doctrines
 concerning baptism current among  the  
,jews1 the ,nephites1 and the ,church of

 ,jesus ,christ in this age1  and have  
found the principles taught to be ever  
the same4 ,indeed1 we  have gone farther
 back1 even to the earliest history of  
the human  race1 and have learned that  
baptism was announced as a saving       
principle by which ,adam was promised   
forgiveness and salvation4 ,no one  has 
reason to hope for salvation except by  
complying with the law of  ,god1 of     
which baptism is an essential part4     
,,notes4         #a4 ,preparation for   
,baptism4--,the doctrine that baptism1  
to be       acceptable1 must be preceded
 by efficient preparation1 was          
generally taught and understood in the  
days of ,christ1 as also in       the   
so-called apostolic period1 and the time
 immediately       following4 ,but this 
belief gradually fell away1 and baptism 
came       to be regarded as an outward 
form1 the application of which          
depended little1 if at all1 on the      
candidates' appreciation1 or            
conception of its purpose2 and1 as      

stated in the test1 the ,lord           
deemed it wise to re-announce the       
doctrine in the present                 
dispensation4 ,concerning the former    
belief a few evidences are       here   
given3         ,in the first ages of    
,christianity1 men and women were       
baptized       on a profession of faith 
in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4--,canon    
,farrar4 ,but as ,christ enjoins them   
7,mark1 xvi1 #ae-af7 to teach           
before baptizing1 and desires that none 
but believers shall be       admitted to
 baptism1 it would appear that baptism  
is not properly       administered      
unless when it is preceded by faith4444 
,in the       apostolic age no one is   
found to have been admitted to baptism  
without a previous profession of faith  
and       repentance4--,calvin4 ,you are
 not first baptized1 and then           
begin to receive the faith1 and have a  
desire2 but when you are       to be    
baptized1 you make known your will to   
the ,teacher1 and make       a full     

confession of your faith with your own  
mouth4--,arnobius--a rhetorician who    
wrote in the latter half       of the   
third century4         ,in the primitive
 church1 instruction preceded baptism1  
agreeable       to the order of ,jesus  
,christ--',go1 teach all nations1       
baptizing       them1' etc4--,saurin 7a 
,french protestant2 #afgg-agcj47        
,in the first two centuries1 no one was 
baptized1 except1 being       instructed
 in the faith and acquainted with the   
doctrine of       ,christ1 he was able  
to profess himself a believer2 because  
of       those words1 ',he that         
believeth and is baptized4'--,salmasius 
7a ,french author2 #aehh-afec74         
#b4 ,historical ,notes on ,infant       
,baptism4--,the baptism of              
infants1 in the first two centuries     
after ,christ1 was altogether           
unknown4444 ,the custom of baptizing    
infants did not begin before       the  
third age after ,christ was born4 ,in   
the former ages no trace       of it    

appears2 and it was introduced without  
the command of                          
,christ4--,curcellaeus4         ,it is  
certain that ,christ did not ordain     
infant baptism4444 ,we       cannot     
prove that the apostles ordained infant 
baptism4 ,from       those places where 
baptism of a whole family is mentioned  
7as in       ,acts xvi1 #cc2 ,i ,cor4 i1
 #af7 we can draw no such conclusion1   
because the inquiry is still to be made1
 whether there were any       children  
in the families of such an age that they
 were not       capable of any          
intelligent reception of ,christianity2 
for this is       the only point on     
which the case turns4444 ,as baptism was
 closely       united with a conscious  
entrance on ,christian communion1 faith 
and baptism were always connected with  
one another2 and thus it       is in the
 highest degree probable that baptism   
was performed only       in instances   
where both could meet together1 and that
 the       practice of infant baptism   

was unknown at this 7the apostolic7     
period4444 ,that not till so late a     
period as 7at least certainly       not 
earlier than7 ,irenus1 a trace of infant
 baptism appears2 and       that it     
first became recognized as an apostolic 
tradition in the       course of the    
third century1 is evidence rather       
against than for       the admission of 
its apostolic origin4--,johann ,neander 
7a       ,german theologian who         
flourished in the first half of the     
present       century74         ,let    
them therefore come when they are grown 
up--when they can       understand--when
 they are taught whither they are to    
come4 ,let       them become ,christians
 when they can know                     
,christ4--,tertullian       7one of the 
,latin ,christian ,fathers2 he lived    
from #aej to #bbj       ,a4 ,d47        
,tertullian's almost violent opposition 
to the practice of       pedobaptism is 
cited by ,neander as a proof that it was
 then not       usually considered an   

apostolic ordinance2 for in that case he
       would hardly have ventured to    
speak so strongly against it4           
,martin ,luther1 writing in the early   
part of the sixteenth       century1    
declared3 ,it cannot be proven by the   
sacred scriptures       that infant     
baptism was instituted by ,christ1 or   
begun by the       first ,christians    
after the apostles4         ,by tekna   
the ,apostle understands1 not infants1  
but posterity2       in which           
signification the word occurs in many   
places of the ,new       ,testament 7see
 among others ,john viii1 #ci72 whence  
it appears       that the argument which
 is very commonly taken from this       
passage       for the baptism of        
infants1 is of no force1 and good for   
nothing4--,limborch 7a native of        
,holland1 and a theologian of           
repute2 he lived #afcc-agab74           
#c4 ,baptism ,necessary4--,that ,gospel 
baptism is necessary to       salvation1
 is abundantly evidenced in the sacred  

writings4       ,christ1 the highest    
authority known to man1 asserted this   
most       emphatically when ,he said to
 ,nicodemus3 ',verily1 verily1 ,i say   
unto thee1 ,except a man be born of     
water and of the ,spirit1 he            
cannot enter into the kingdom of ,god'  
7,john iii1 #e74 ,so important       did
 the ,savior consider baptism1 that when
 ,he went to ,john to be       baptized1
 and ,john forbade ,him1 ,he replied to 
him3 ',suffer it to       be so now1 for
 thus it becometh us to fulfil all      
righteousness'       7,matt4 iii1       
#ac-ae74 ,in this he taught ,john the   
doctrine that a       fulness of        
righteousness1 or salvation1 could not  
be received       without it4 ,the      
prophet ,nephi1 who lived nearly six    
hundred years       before the birth of 
our ,savior1 clearly understood the     
necessity       of baptism4 ,said he3   
',and now1 if the ,lamb of ,god1 he     
being holy1       should have need to be
 baptized by water1 to fulfil all       

righteousness1 ,o then1 how much more   
need have we1 being unholy1       to be 
baptized1 yea1 even by water8' 7,,ii    
,nephi xxxi1 #e74 ,the       prophet    
,mormon1 who lived nearly one thousand  
years after ,nephi1       also taught   
the necessity of following the example  
of our ,savior       in being baptized1 
first by water 7,mormon vii1            
#aj74--;,compendium1 p4 #cb4 ,see also3 
,doc4 and ,cov4 v1 #af2       lxviii1   
#h2 lxxvi1 #ea2 cxii1 #bi2 cxxviii1 #ab2
 ,book of ,mormon3 ,,ii       ,nephi    
xxxi1 #aa1 #ag2 ,alma v1 #fb2 ix1 #bg2  
,,iii ,nephi xviii1 #e2       xxviii1   
#ah2 ,mormon ix1 #bi2 ,moroni vi1 #a-d2 
viii1 #d-bb4          ,,lecture ,,vii4  
,,baptism4--,continued4         ,article
 #d4--,we believe that the first        
principles and ordinances       of the  
,gospel are3--444 7#c7 ,baptism by      
immersion for the       remission of    
sins2 444      ,,mode ,,of ,,baptism4   
#a4 ,method of ,administering ,baptism  
,important4--,in considering the  object

 and the necessity of baptism1 much has 
been said and inferred  concerning the  
importance which the ,lord attaches to  
this initiatory  rite2 it is natural    
that the mode of administering the      
ordinance  should also be specifically  
prescribed4 ,many ,christian sects have 
some  established rite of initiation1 in
 which water figures as a necessary     
element2 though with some the ceremony  
consists in nothing more than  the      
placing of the priest's moistened finger
 on the forehead of the  candidate2 or  
in the pouring or sprinkling of water on
 the face2 while  others consider       
immersion of the whole body as          
requisite4 ,the  ,latter-day ,saints    
hold that the scriptures are devoid of  
ambiguity  regarding the acceptable mode
 of baptism2 and they boldly declare    
their belief that bodily immersion by a 
duly authorized servant or              
representative of the ,savior is the    
only true form4 ,their reasons for  this
 belief may be summed up as follows3    

7#a7 ,the derivation and former  usage  
of the word baptism1 and its cognates1  
betoken immersion4 7#b7  ,the symbolism 
of the rite is preserved in no other    
form4 7#c7  ,scriptural authority1 the  
revealed word of ,god through the mouths
 of  ancient and modern prophets1       
prescribes immersion as the true form of
  baptism4    #b4 7#a47 ,the ,word      
,baptism1 as is generally admitted by   
philologists1 is derived from the ,greek
 bapto1 baptizo1 meaning  literally to  
dip1 or to immerse4 ,as is true in the  
case of every  living language1 words   
may undergo great changes of meaning2   
and some  writers declare that the term 
in question may be as applicable to     
pouring or sprinkling with water as to  
actual immersion4 ,it becomes           
interesting1 therefore1 to inquire as to
 the current meaning of the  term at or 
near the time of ,christ2 for1 as the   
,savior evidently  deemed it            
unnecessary1 in the course of ,his      
instructions concerning  baptism1 to    

modify or in any way to enlarge upon the
 meaning of the  term1 the word baptize 
evidently conveyed a very definite      
meaning to  those who received ,his     
teachings4 ,from the use made of the    
original  term by the ,latin and ,greek 
authors1#djf it is plain that they      
understood an actual immersion in water 
as the only true  signification4 ,the   
modern ,greeks understand baptism to    
mean a burial  in water1 and therefore1 
as they adopt the profession of         
,christianity1  they practice immersion 
as the only proper form in baptism4#djg 
,concerning this kind of argument1 it   
should be remembered that  philological 
evidence is not of the most decisive    
order4 ,let us pass  then to the        
consideration of other and stronger     
reasons4      #djf ,see ,note #a4       
#djg ,see ,note #b4    #c4 7#b47 ,the   
,symbolism of the ,baptismal ,rite is   
preserved in no form  other than        
immersion4 ,the ,savior compared baptism
 to a birth1 and  declared such to be   

essential to the life that leads to the 
kingdom of  ,god4#djh ,surely none can  
say that a birth is represented by a    
simple  sprinkling of water on the face 
or head4 ,not the least of the          
distinctions which have contributed to  
,christ's pre-eminence as a  teacher of 
teachers1 consists in ,his precise and  
forceful use of  language2 ,his         
comparisons are always strong1 ,his     
metaphors ever  expressive1 ,his        
parables convincing2 and so             
inappropriate a comparison  as is       
implied in such a false representation  
of birth1 would be  entirely foreign to 
the ,great ,teacher's methods4      #djh
 ,john iii1 #c1 #e4    #d4 ,baptism has 
also been very impressively compared to 
a burial1  followed by a resurrection2  
and in this symbol of the bodily death  
and  resurrection of ,his ,son has ,god 
promised to grant remission of sins4    
,in writing to the ,romans1 ,paul       
says3--,know ye not1 that so many of us 
as were baptized into ,jesus ,christ    

were baptized into his death8           
,therefore we are buried with him by    
baptism into death3 that like as        
,christ was raised up from the dead by  
the glory of the ,father1 even so  we   
also should walk in newness of life4    
,for if we have been planted  together  
in the likeness of his death1 we shall  
be also in the  likeness of his         
resurrection4#dji ,and again1 the same  
apostle  writes3 ,buried with him in    
baptism1 wherein also ye are risen with 
him through the faith of the operation  
of ,god1 who hath raised him  from the  
dead4#daj ,among all the varied forms of
 baptism practiced  by man1 immersion   
alone typifies a birth1 marking the     
beginning of a  new career2 or the sleep
 of the grave1 with subsequent victory  
over  death4      #dji ,rom4 vi1 #c-e4  
#daj ,col4 ii1 #ab4    #e4 7#c47        
,scriptural ,authority warrants none    
other form than  immersion4 ,christ     
,himself was baptized by immersion4 ,we 
read that  after the ceremony1 ,he went 

up straightway out of the water4#daa    
,that the baptism of the ,savior was    
acceptable before ,his ,father is       
abundantly proved by the manifestations 
immediately following the  ordinance--in
 the descent of the ,holy ,ghost1 and   
the declaration1  ,this is my beloved   
,son1 in whom ,i am well pleased4 ,john1
 surnamed1  because of his ,divine      
commission1 the ,baptist1 baptized in   
the river  ,jordan2#dab and shortly     
afterward we hear of him baptizing in   
non1  near to ,salim1 because there was 
much water there2#dac yet had he  been  
baptizing by sprinkling1 a small        
quantity of water would have  sufficed  
for a multitude4      #daa ,matt4 iii1  
#af-ag2 ,mark i1 #aj-aa4      #dab ,mark
 i1 #d1 #e4      #dac ,john iii1 #bc4   
#f4 ,we read of baptism following the   
somewhat speedy conversion of  the      
,ethiopian eunuch1 treasurer to the     
queen1 ,candace4 ,to him ,philip        
preached the doctrine of ,christ1 as    
they rode together in the  ,ethiopian's 

chariot2 the eunuch1 believing the words
 of his inspired  instructor1 desired   
baptism1 and ,philip consenting1 he     
commanded the  chariot to stand still1  
and they both went down into the water1 
both  ,philip and the eunuch1 and he    
baptized him4 ,and when they were come  
up out of the water1 the ,spirit of the 
,lord caught away ,philip that  the     
eunuch saw him no more2 and he went on  
his way rejoicing4#dad  ,surely the     
record in this case is explicit1 that   
immersion was the  mode practiced by    
,philip4      #dad ,acts viii1 #bf-ci4  
#g4 ,history1 other than ,scriptural1   
proves that for more than two  centuries
 after ,christ1 immersion was the only  
mode of baptism  generally practiced by 
professed ,christians2 and not indeed   
till near  the close of the thirteenth  
century did other forms become          
general4#dae ,distortions of ordinances 
instituted by authority may be          
expected1 if the outward form of such   
ordinances be attempted after  the      

authority to minister in them has been  
taken away2 yet such  distortions are of
 gradual growth2 deformities resulting  
from  constitutional ailments do not    
develop in a day2 we may with reason1   
therefore1 look for the closest         
imitation of the true form of baptism1  
as indeed of any other ordinance        
instituted by ,christ1 in the period    
immediately following ,his personal     
ministry1 and that of ,his  apostles4   
,then1 as the darkness of unbelief      
deepened1 the authority  given of       
,christ having been taken from the earth
 with ,his martyred  servants1 many     
innovations appeared1 dignitaries of the
 various  churches becoming a law unto  
themselves and to their adherents4      
,early  in the third century1 the       
,bishop of ,carthage decided that       
persons of  weak health might be        
acceptably baptized by sprinkling2 and  
with the  license thus given1 the true  
form of baptism gradually fell into     
disfavor1 and unauthorized practices    

devised by man took its place4      #dae
 ,see ,note #c4    #h4 ,baptism among   
the ,nephites was performed by immersion
 only4 ,the  wide extent to which       
baptism was preached and practiced among
 the  people from ,lehi to ,moroni has  
been already shown4 ,when the ,savior   
appeared to ,his people on this         
hemisphere1 ,he gave them very explicit 
instructions as to the method of        
procedure in administering the          
ordinance4 ,these are his               
words3--,verily ,i say unto you1 that   
whoso  repenteth of his sins through    
your words1 and desireth to be baptized 
in my name1 on this wise shall ye       
baptize them3 behold1 ye shall go  down 
and stand in the water1 and in my name  
shall ye baptize them4 ,and  now behold1
 these are the words which ye shall say1
 calling them by  name1 saying1 ,having 
authority given me of ,jesus ,christ1 ,i
 baptize  you in the name of the        
,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the    
,holy ,ghost3  ,amen4 ,and then shall ye

 immerse them in the water1 and come    
forth  again out of the water4#daf      
#daf ,,iii ,nephi xi1 #bc-bg4    #i4    
,modern ,baptism1 as prescribed by      
revelation1 is after the same  pattern4 
,the first baptisms in the present      
dispensation were those of  ,joseph     
,smith and ,oliver ,cowdery1 who        
baptized each other according to  the   
directions of the heavenly messenger    
from whom they had received  authority  
to administer in this holy ordinance1   
and who was none other  than ,john the  
,baptist of a former dispensation1 the  
forerunner of the  ,messiah4 ,joseph    
,smith thus describes the               
event3--,accordingly we went  and were  
baptized2 ,i baptized him ,oliver       
,cowdery first1 and  afterwards he      
baptized me4444 ,immediately on our     
coming up out of the  water after we had
 been baptized1 we experienced great and
 glorious  blessings4    #aj4 ,in a     
revelation concerning ,church           
government1 dated ,april1 #ahcj1  the   

,lord prescribed the exact mode of      
baptism as ,he desires the  ordinance   
administered in the present             
dispensation4 ,he said3 ,baptism  is to 
be administered in the following manner 
unto all those who  repent3--,the person
 who is called of ,god and has authority
 from ,jesus  ,christ to baptize1 shall 
go down into the water with the person  
who  has presented him or herself for   
baptism1 and shall say1 calling him  or 
her by name--,having been commissioned  
of ,jesus ,christ1 ,i baptize  you in   
the name of the ,father1 and of the     
,son1 and of the ,holy ,ghost4  ,amen4  
,then shall he immerse him or her in the
 water1 and come forth  again out of the
 water4#dag      #dag ,doc4 and ,cov4   
xx1 #gb-gd4    #aa4 ,the ,lord would not
 have prescribed the words of this      
ceremony  did ,he not desire them used1 
and therefore elders and priests of the 
,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day
 ,saints have no personal authority  to 
change the form given of ,god1 by       

additions1 omissions1 or  alterations of
 any kind4      ,,baptism ,,and         
,,re-,,baptism4    #ab4 ,a ,repetition  
of the ,baptismal ,ordinance on the same
 individual  is allowable under certain 
specific conditions4 ,thus1 if one1     
having  entered the ,church by baptism1 
withdraws from it1 or is excommunicated 
therefrom1 and afterwards repents and   
desires to regain his standing  in the  
,church1 he can do so only through      
baptism4 ,however1 such is a  repetition
 of the initiatory ordinance as         
previously administered4  ,there is no  
ordinance of re-baptism in the ,church  
distinct in  nature1 form1 or purpose1  
from other baptism2 and1 therefore1 in  
administering baptism to a subject who  
has been formerly baptized1 the  form of
 the ceremony is exactly the same as in 
first baptisms4 ,the  expression1 ,i    
re-baptize you1 in place of ,i baptize  
you1 and the  additions for the renewal 
of your covenants1 or for the remission 
of your sins1 though such have been used

 by officiating elders and  priests of  
the ,church1 are not authorized4 ,the   
dictates of reason  unite with the voice
 of the presiding authorities of the    
,church in  discountenancing any erratic
 departures from the course prescribed  
by  the ,lord2 changes in ceremonies    
given by authority can be effected  only
 by authority1 and we must look for     
direction in these matters to  those who
 hold the keys of power in the ,church4 
#ac4 ,a re-baptism1 that is1 a          
repetition of the simple ordinance as   
at first performed1 may be allowed under
 particular circumstances1  which       
seemingly warrant this extraordinary    
step4 ,thus1 in the early  days of the  
,church in ,utah1 its members having    
come hither through  much tribulation1  
long and toilsome journeyings1          
accompanied in many  instances by       
prolonged suspension of ,church         
gatherings and other  formal religious  
observances1 it was wisely suggested by 
,president  ,young that the members of  

the ,church renew the witness of their  
allegiance to the cause of ,god1 by each
 one seeking baptism4 ,then1 as  other  
companies of immigrants continued to    
arrive1 the same conditions  of long    
travel and rough experience applying in 
their cases1 and  further1 as many of   
them hailed from foreign branches of the
 ,church1  still incompletely organized1
 through which circumstances the actual 
standing of the members could not be    
readily proved1 the same rite of  a     
second baptism was allowed to them4     
,however1 it was never intended  that   
such a practice should become general2  
far less that it should be  established 
as a permanent rule of action in the    
,church4 ,the  ,latter-day ,saints do   
not profess to be ,anabaptists4    #ad4 
,re-baptisms ,recorded in ,scripture are
 very few2 and in every  instance1 the  
existence of special circumstances      
justifying the action  are readily seen4
 ,thus1 we read of ,paul baptizing      
certain professed  disciples at ,ephesus

 though they had already been baptized  
after the  manner of ,john's            
baptism4#dah ,but in this case1 the     
apostle was  evidently1 and with good   
reason1 suspicious that the baptism of  
which  these spoke had been performed by
 unauthorized hands1 or at least        
without the proper preliminary education
 of the candidates2 for when  he tested 
the efficacy of their baptism by asking 
,have ye received  the ,holy ,ghost     
since ye believed8 they answered him1   
,we have not so  much as heard whether  
there be any ,holy ,ghost4 ,then asked  
he in  surprise1 ,unto what then were ye
 baptized8 and they replied1 ,unto      
,john's baptism4 ,but ,paul knew1 as we 
know1 that ,john preached the  baptism  
of repentance by water1 but always      
declared that such was but  a           
preliminary to the greater baptism by   
fire1 which ,christ should  bring4      
,therefore1 in view of such             
unsatisfactory evidence concerning  the 
validity of their baptism1 ,paul had    

baptism in the name of the  ,lord ,jesus
 administered unto these twelve devout  
,ephesians1 after  which he laid his    
hands upon them1 and they received the  
,holy ,ghost4      #dah ,acts xix1 #a-f4
    #ae4 ,the baptism instituted by     
,christ among the ,nephites1#dai was    
very largely a re-baptism2 for as we    
have already seen1 the doctrine  of     
baptism had been taught and practiced   
among the people from the  time of      
,lehi2 and surely1 ,nephi1 the first to 
whom the ,savior gave  authority to     
baptize after ,his departure1 had been  
previously  baptized1 for he and his    
co-laborers in the ministry had been    
most  zealous in declaring the necessity
 of baptism4#dbj ,yet in this case      
also1 there had probably arisen much    
impropriety in the manner1 and  perhaps 
in the spirit1 of administering the     
ordinance2 for the ,savior  in giving   
minute directions concerning the form of
 baptism1 reproved  them for the spirit 
of contention and disputation that had  

previously  existed among them regarding
 the ordinance4#dba ,therefore1 the     
baptism of these people was made valid  
by an authoritative  administration     
after the manner prescribed of ,god4    
#dai ,,iii ,nephi xi1 #ba-bh4      #dbj 
,,iii ,nephi vii1 #bc-bf1 etc4      #dba
 ,,iii ,nephi xi1 #bg-cj4    #af4       
,incidentally1 our attention is arrested
 by the fact that in  these cases of    
re-baptism among the ,nephites1 the same
 ritual was used  as in first baptism1  
and this by explicit instructions of the
 ,lord1  coupled with an impressive     
warning against disputation4 ,why should
 the  priests in this day seek to alter 
the form to suit the case of a          
candidate who has formerly been         
baptized8    #ag4 ,repeated ,baptisms of
 the ,same ,person are not sanctioned in
 the  ,church4 ,it is easy to fall into 
the error of believing that baptism     
offers a ready means of gaining         
forgiveness of sins however oft         
repeated4 ,such a belief tends rather to

 excuse than to prevent sin1  inasmuch  
as the hurtful effects seem to be so    
easily averted4 ,neither  the written   
law of ,god1 nor the instructions of    
,his living ,priesthood1  designate     
baptism as a means of securing          
forgiveness by those who are  already   
within the fold of ,christ4 ,unto such1 
forgiveness of all sin1  if not unto    
death1 has been promised on confession1 
and repentance  with full purpose of    
heart2 of them a repetition of the      
baptismal rite  has not been required   
and1 were subjects of this class        
repeatedly  baptized1 unto them         
remission of sins would in no wise come1
 except  they repent most sincerely4    
,the frailties of mortality and our     
proneness to sin lead us continually    
into error2 but if we covenant  with the
 ,lord at the waters of baptism1 and    
thereafter seek to observe  ,his law1   
,he is merciful to pardon our little    
transgressions1 through  repentance     
sincere and true2 and without such      

repentance1 baptism1  however oft       
repeated1 would avail us nothing4       
,,baptism ,,for ,,the ,,dead4    #ah4   
,baptism ,required of ,all4--,the       
universal applicability of the law  of  
baptism has been already dwelt upon4    
,compliance with the ordinance  has been
 shown to be essential to salvation1 and
 this condition  applies to all mankind4
 ,nowhere in scripture is a distinction 
made in  this regard between the living 
and the dead4 ,the dead are those who   
have lived in mortality upon earth2 the 
living are mortals who yet  shall pass  
through the ordained change which we    
call death4 ,all are  children of the   
same ,father1 all to be judged and      
rewarded or punished  by the same       
unerring justice1 with the same         
interpositions of  benignant mercy4     
,christ's atoning sacrifice was offered1
 not alone for  the few who lived upon  
the earth while ,he was in the flesh1   
nor for  those who were to be born in   
mortality after ,his death1 but for all 

inhabitants of earth then past1 present1
 and future4 ,he was ordained  of the   
,father to be a judge of both quick and 
dead2#dbb ,he is ,lord  alike of living 
and dead1#dbc as men speak of dead and  
living1 though  all are to be placed in 
the same position before ,him2 there    
will be  but a single class1 for all    
live unto ,him4#dbd      #dbb ,acts x1  
#db2 ,,ii ,tim4 iv1 #a2 ,i ,peter iv1   
#e4      #dbc ,rom4 xiv1 #i4      #dbd  
,luke xx1 #cf1 #ch4    #ai4 ,the ,gospel
 yet ,unknown to ,many4--,of the        
multitudes of human  beings who have    
existed on the earth1 but few have heard
 and fewer  have obeyed1 the law of the 
gospel4 ,in the course of the world's   
history there have been long periods of 
spiritual darkness1 when the  gospel was
 not preached upon the earth2 when there
 was no authorized  representative of   
the ,lord officiating in the saving     
ordinances of the  kingdom4 ,such a     
condition has never existed except as   
the result of  the unbelief and         

waywardness of the people4 ,when mankind
 have  persistently trodden the pearls  
of truth into the mire1 and have  sought
 to slay and rend the bearers of the    
jewels1 in justice not more  than in    
mercy these treasures of heaven have    
been taken and withheld  until a more   
appreciative posterity could be raised  
up4 ,it may very  properly be asked1    
,what provisions are made in the economy
 of ,god for  the eventual salvation of 
those who have thus neglected the       
requirements of the ,word1 and for those
 who have never heard the  gospel       
tidings8    #bj4 ,according to certain  
dogmas that have prevailed among many   
so-called ,christian sects during the   
obscurity of the spiritual night1  and  
which are yet zealously promulgated1    
never-ending punishment or  interminable
 bliss1 unchanging in kind or degree1   
shall be the lot of  every soul2 the    
award being made according to the       
condition of the  spirit at the time of 
bodily death2 a life of sin being thus  

entirely  nullified by a death-bed      
repentance2 and an honorable career1 if 
unmarked by ceremonies of the           
established sects1 being followed by the
  tortures of hell without the hope of  
relief4 ,such a belief must rank  with  
the dread heresy which proclaims the    
condemnation of innocent  babes who have
 not been sprinkled by man's assumed    
authority4    #ba4 ,it is blasphemous to
 thus attribute caprice and             
vindictiveness  to the ,divine nature4  
,in the justice of ,god1 no soul shall  
be  condemned under any law which has   
not been made known unto him4 ,it is    
true1 eternal punishment has been       
decreed as the lot of the wicked2  but  
the true meaning of this terrible       
expression has been given by the  ,lord 
,himself3#dbe eternal punishment is     
,god's punishment2 endless  punishment  
is ,god's punishment1 for ,endless and  
,eternal are among  ,his names1 and the 
words are descriptive of ,his           
attributes4 ,no soul  will be kept in   

prison or continued in torment beyond   
the time  requisite to work the needed  
reformation and to vindicate justice1   
for  which ends alone punishment is     
imposed4 ,and no one will be permitted  
to enter any kingdom of glory to which  
he is not entitled through  obedience to
 law4      #dbe ,see page #fc2 ,doc4 and
 ,cov4 xix1 #aj-ab4    #bb4 ,the ,gospel
 to be ,preached to the ,dead4--,it is  
plain1 then1 that  the gospel must be   
proclaimed in the spirit world2 and that
 such work  is provided for1 the        
scriptures abundantly prove4 ,peter1    
describing  the mission of his          
,redeemer1 thus declares this           
truth3--,for this  cause was the gospel 
preached also to them that are dead1    
that they  might be judged according to 
men in the flesh1 but live according to 
,god in the spirit4#dbf ,the            
inauguration of this work among the dead
  was effected by ,christ in the        
interval between ,his death and         
resurrection4 ,while ,his body lay in   

the tomb1 ,his spirit ministered to  the
 spirits of the departed3--,by which    
also he went and preached unto  the     
spirits in prison2 which sometime were  
disobedient when once the               
long-suffering of ,god waited in the    
days of ,noah1 while the ark was a      
preparing1 wherein few1 that is1 eight  
souls1 were saved by  water4#dbg        
#dbf ,i ,peter iv1 #f4      #dbg ,i     
,peter iii1 #ah-bj4    #bc4 ,other      
scriptures sustain the position1 that   
while in a  disembodied state1 ,christ  
went elsewhere than to the place usually
  termed heaven1--the abode of ,his     
,father2 and that ,he labored among  the
 dead1 who greatly needed ,his ministry4
 ,one of the malefactors who  suffered  
crucifixion by ,his side1 through       
humility won from the dying  ,savior the
 promise1 ,to-day shalt thou be with me 
in ,paradise4#dbh  ,and three days      
afterward1 the ,lord1 then a resurrected
 ,being1 declared  to the sorrowing     
,magdalene1 ,i have not yet ascended to 

my  ,father4#dbi      #dbh ,luke xxiii1 
#ci-dc4      #dbi ,john xx1 #ag4    #bd4
 ,if it was deemed proper and just that 
the gospel be carried to  the spirits   
who were disobedient in the days of     
,noah1 is it not  reasonable to conclude
 that like opportunities shall be placed
 within  the reach of others who have   
rejected the word at different times8   
,for  the same spirit of neglect and    
disobedience that characterized the     
time of ,noah has ever existed4#dcj ,and
 further1 if1 in the plan of  ,god1     
provisions be made for the redemption of
 the wilfully  disobedient1 of those who
 actually spurn the truth1 can we       
believe  that the still greater         
multitudes of spirits who have never    
heard the  ,gospel are to be left in    
punishment eternally8 ,no2 ,god has     
decreed  that even the heathen nations1 
and those that knew no law1 shall be    
redeemed4#dca ,the good gifts of the    
,father are not confined to this  sphere
 of action1 but will be distributed in  

justice throughout  eternity4 ,upon all 
who reject the word of ,god in this life
 shall fall  the penalties provided for 
such act2 but after the debt has been   
paid1  the prison doors shall be opened1
 and the spirits once confined in       
suffering1 now chastened and clean1     
shall come forth to partake of the      
glory provided for their class4         
#dcj ,luke xvii1 #bf4      #dca ,doc4   
and ,cov4 xlv1 #ed4    #be4 ,christ's   
,work among the ,dead was               
,foretold4--,centuries before  ,christ  
came in the flesh1 the prophets rejoiced
 in the knowledge that  through ,him    
would salvation be carried to the dead  
as well as to the  living4 ,speaking of 
the punishment to be brought upon the   
proud and  haughty of the earth1 ,isaiah
 declares3 ,and they shall be gathered  
together1 as prisoners are gathered in  
the pit1 and shall be shut up  in the   
prison1 and after many days shall they  
be visited4#dcb ,the  same great prophet
 thus testifies concerning the work of  

the coming  ,redeemer2 ,he is to open   
the blind eyes1 to bring out the        
prisoners  from the prison1 and them    
that sit in darkness out of the prison  
house4#dcc ,and ,david1 singing to the  
music of inspiration concerning  the    
redemption from the grave1 exclaims3    
,therefore my heart is glad1  and my    
glory rejoiceth3 my flesh also shall    
rest in hope4 ,for thou  wilt not leave 
my soul in hell2 neither wilt thou      
suffer thine ,holy  ,one to see         
corruption4 ,thou wilt shew me the path 
of life2 in thy  presence is fulness of 
joy2 at thy right hand there are        
pleasures for  evermore4#dcd      #dcb  
,isa4 xxiv1 #bb4      #dcc ,isa4 xlii1  
#f-g4      #dcd ,psa4 xvi1 #i-aa4       
#bf4 ,work of the ,living for the       
,dead4--,the redemption of the dead     
will be effected in strict accordance   
with the law of ,god1 which is  written 
in justice and framed in mercy4 ,it is  
alike impossible for any  spirit1 in the
 flesh or disembodied1 to obtain even   

the promise of  eternal glory1 except on
 condition of obedience to the laws and 
ordinances of the gospel4 ,and1 as      
baptism is essential to the  salvation  
of the living1 it is likewise           
indispensable to the salvation  of the  
dead4 ,this was known by the ,saints of 
old1 and hence the  doctrine of baptism 
for the dead was taught among them4 ,in 
an epistle  addressed to the ,saints at 
,corinth1 ,paul expounded the principles
 of  the resurrection1 whereby the      
bodies of the dead are to be brought    
forth from the graves4 ,christ the first
 fruits1 and afterward they  that are   
,christ's1 and as proof that this       
doctrine of the  resurrection was       
included in the gospel as they had      
received and  professed it1 the apostle 
asks3 ,else what shall they do which are
  baptized for the dead1 if the dead    
rise not at all8 why are they then      
baptized for the dead8#dce ,these words 
are unambiguous1 and the fact  that they
 are presented without explanation or   

comment argues that the  principle of   
baptism for the dead was understood     
among the people to  whom the letter was
 addressed4      #dce ,i ,cor4 xv1 #bi4 
,see ,the ,house of the ,lord1 p4 #ib4  
#bg4 ,the necessity of vicarious work is
 here shown1--the living  laboring in   
behalf of the dead2 the children doing  
for their  progenitors what is beyond   
the power of the latter to do for       
themselves4 ,many and various are the   
interpretations rendered by  erring     
human wisdom on this plain statement of 
,paul's2 yet the simple  and earnest    
seeker after truth finds little         
difficulty in  comprehending the        
meaning4 ,in words which form the       
closing sentences  of the ,old          
,testament1 the prophet ,malachi        
predicted the great work to  be carried 
on in behalf of the dead during the     
latter days3 ,behold1 ,i  will send you 
,elijah the prophet before the coming of
 the great and  dreadful day of the     
,lord3 ,and he shall turn the heart of  

the fathers  to the children1 and the   
heart of the children to their fathers1 
lest  ,i come and smite the earth with a
 curse4#dcf ,it is a current belief     
among many ,bible students1 that this   
prophecy had reference to the  birth and
 ministry of ,john the ,baptist1#dcg    
upon whom indeed rested  and remained   
the spirit and power of ,elias1 as the  
angel had  foretold2#dch but we have no 
record of ,elijah ministering unto      
,john2  and moreover the results of the 
latter's ministry warrant no  conclusion
 that in him did the prophecy find its  
full realization4      #dcf ,mal4 iv1   
#e-f4      #dcg ,matt4 xi1 #ad2 xvii1   
#aa2 ,mark ix1 #aa2 ,luke i1 #ag4       
#dch ,luke i1 #ag2 ,doc4 and ,cov4      
xxvii1 #g4    #bh4 ,we must therefore   
look to a later date in the world's     
history  for a fulfillment of ,malachi's
 prediction4 ,on the #bast of           
,september1  #ahbc1 ,joseph ,smith#dci  
received a visitation of a heavenly     
being who  announced himself as ,moroni1

 sent from the presence of ,god4 ,in the
  course of his instructions to the     
chosen youth1 this heavenly  personage  
quoted the prophecy of ,malachi1 already
 referred to1 but in  language slightly 
different from1 and certainly more      
expressive than1  that appearing in the 
ordinary translation of the scriptures2 
the  angel's version is as follows3 ,for
 behold the day cometh that shall  burn 
as an oven1 and all the proud1 yea and  
all that do wickedly1  shall burn as    
stubble1 for they that come shall burn  
them1 saith the  ,lord of ,hosts1 that  
it shall leave them neither root nor    
branch4  ,behold ,i will reveal unto you
 the ,priesthood by the hand of ,elijah 
the  prophet1 before the coming of the  
great and dreadful day of the ,lord4    
,and he shall plant in the hearts of the
 children the promises made to  the     
fathers1 and the hearts of the children 
shall turn to their  fathers2 if it were
 not so the whole earth would be utterly
 wasted at  ,his coming4#ddj      #dci  

,see page #aj4      #ddj ,compare verses
 #a1 #e1 and #f1 ,mal4 iv4    #bi4 ,in a
 glorious manifestation to ,joseph      
,smith and ,oliver ,cowdery1  given in  
the ,kirtland ,temple1 ,april #c1 #ahcf1
 there appeared unto them  ,elijah the  
prophet1 who was taken to heaven without
 tasting death2 he  declared unto them3 
,behold1 the time has fully come which  
was spoken  of by the mouth of ,malachi1
 testifying that he 7,elijah7 should be 
sent  before the great and dreadful day 
of the ,lord come1 to turn the hearts   
of the fathers to the children and the  
children to the fathers1 lest  the whole
 earth be smitten with a curse4         
,therefore the keys of this             
dispensation are committed into your    
hands1 and by this ye may know  that the
 great and dreadful day of the ,lord is 
near1 even at the  doors4#dda      #dda 
,doc4 and ,cov4 cx1 #ac-af4    #cj4 ,the
 ,fathers and the ,children ,mutually   
,dependent4--,one of the  great         
principles underlying the doctrine of   

salvation for the dead is  that of the  
mutual dependence of the fathers and the
 children4 ,as the  ,prophet ,joseph    
taught the ,saints1#ddb but for the     
establishment of a  connecting link     
between the departed fathers and the    
living children1  the earth would be    
smitten with a curse4 ,the plan of ,god 
provides that  neither the children nor 
the fathers can alone be made perfect2  
and  the necessary union is effected    
through baptism and associated          
ordinances for the dead4 ,the manner in 
which the hearts of the  children and   
those of the fathers are turned toward  
one another is  made plain through these
 scriptures4 ,as the children learn that
  without the aid of their progenitors  
they cannot attain perfection1          
assuredly will their hearts be opened1  
their faith will be kindled1  and good  
works will be attempted1 for the        
redemption of their dead2  and the      
departed1 learning from the ministers of
 the gospel laboring  among them1 that  

they must depend upon their children as 
vicarious  saviors1 will seek to sustain
 their still mortal representatives with
  faith and prayer for the perfecting of
 those labors of love4      #ddb ,doc4  
and ,cov4 cxxviii1 #ah2 see also this   
entire section and    sec4 cxxvii4      
#ca4 ,and love1 which is a power in     
itself1 is thus intensified4 ,aside     
from the emotions which are stirred     
within the soul by the presence of  the 
,divine1 there are few feelings stronger
 and purer than the love  for kindred4  
,heaven would not be all we wish were   
family love unknown  there4#ddc         
,affection there will differ from its   
earthly type1 in  being deeper1         
stronger1 purer4 ,and thus in the mercy 
of ,god1 ,his  erring1 mortal children1 
who have taken upon themselves the name 
of  ,christ on earth1 may become1 in a  
limited sphere1 each a savior in the    
house of his fathers1 and that too by   
vicarious labor and sacrifice1  rendered
 in humility1 and1 as represented in the

 baptismal ordinance1  typical of the   
death1 burial1 and resurrection of the  
,redeemer4      #ddc ,see ,note #d4     
#cb4 ,the ,labor for the ,dead is       
,two-fold4--,that performed on earth    
would be incomplete but for its         
supplement and counterpart beyond the   
vail4 ,missionary labor is in progress  
there1 whereby the tidings of  the      
gospel are carried to the departed      
spirits1 who thus learn of the  work    
done in their behalf on earth4 ,what    
glorious possibilities  concerning the  
purposes of ,god are thus presented to  
our view6 ,how the  mercy of ,god is    
magnified by these evidences of ,his    
love6 ,how often do  we behold friends  
and loved ones1 whom we count among     
earth's fairest  and best1 stricken down
 by the shafts of death1 seemingly in   
spite of  the power of faith and the    
ministrations of the ,priesthood of     
,god6 ,yet  who of us can tell but that 
these may be permitted to minister in   
the  labor of redemption beyond1        

preaching perhaps the gospel to the     
spirits of their forefathers1 while     
others of the same family are           
officiating in a similar behalf on      
earth8    #cc4 ,as far as the ,divine   
will has been revealed1 it requires that
  the outward ordinances1 such as       
baptism in water1 the laying on of      
hands for the bestowal of the ,holy     
,ghost1 and the higher endowments  that 
follow1 be attended to on earth1 a      
proper representative in the  flesh     
acting as proxy for the dead4 ,the      
results of such labors are to  be left  
with ,god4 ,it is not to be supposed    
that by these ordinances  the departed  
are in any way compelled to accept the  
obligation1 nor  that they are in the   
least hindered in the exercise of their 
free  agency4 ,they will accept or      
reject1 according to their condition of 
humility or hostility in respect to     
things divine2 but the work so  done for
 them on earth will be of avail when    
wholesome argument and  reason have     

shown them their true position4         
,,temples4    #cd4 ,temples or ,other   
,sacred ,places are required for the    
performance  of these holy ordinances4  
,whenever an organization of the        
priesthood  has existed on earth1 the   
,lord has required the preparation of   
places  suited to ,his use1 where the   
rites of ,his ,church could be          
performed4  ,it is but proper that such 
a structure should be the result of the 
people's best efforts1 inasmuch as it is
 made by them an offering unto  the     
,lord4 ,in every age of the world1 the  
chosen people have been a               
temple-building people4 ,shortly after  
,israel's deliverance from the  bondage 
of ,egypt1 the ,lord called upon the    
people to construct a  sanctuary to ,his
 name1 the plan of which ,he minutely   
specified4 ,though  this was but a tent1
 it was elaborately furnished and       
appointed1 the  choicest possessions of 
the people being used in its            
construction4#ddd  ,and the ,lord       

accepted this offering of ,his wandering
 people1 by  manifesting ,his glory     
therein1 and there revealing            
,himself4#dde ,when  the people had     
settled in the promised land1 the       
,tabernacle of the  congregation was    
given a more permanent resting          
place2#ddf yet it  still was honored for
 its sacred purpose1 until superseded by
 the  ,temple of ,solomon as the        
sanctuary of the ,lord4      #ddd ,exo4 
xxv2 xxxv1 #bb4 ,see ,the ,house of the 
,lord1 ch4 ii4      #dde ,exo4 xl1      
#cd-ch4      #ddf ,josh4 xviii1 #a4     
#ce4 ,this temple1 one of the most      
gorgeous structures ever erected by  man
 for sacred service1 was dedicated with 
imposing ceremonies2 but  its splendor  
was of short duration2 for1 within less 
than forty years  from the time of its  
completion1 its glory declined1 and     
finally it  fell a prey to the flames4  
,a partial restoration of the temple was
  made after the ,jews returned from    
their captivity2 and through the        

friendly influence of ,cyrus and        
,darius1 the temple of ,zerubbabel was  
dedicated4#ddg ,that the ,lord accepted 
this effort of ,his people to  maintain 
a sanctuary to ,his name1 is fully shown
 by the spirit that  actuated its       
officers1 among whom were ,zechariah1   
,haggai1 and ,malachi4  ,this temple    
remained standing for nearly five       
centuries2 and1 but a  few years before 
the birth of the ,savior1 the           
reconstruction of the  edifice was begun
 by wicked ,herod the ,great1 and the   
term ,temple of  ,herod passed into     
history4#ddh ,the veil of this temple   
was rent at  the time of the            
crucifixion1#ddi and in the year #gj ,a4
 ,d4 the  destruction of the building   
was accomplished by ,titus4      #ddg ,i
 ,kings vi1 viii4      #ddh ,ezra i1    
iii1 vi4      #ddi ,matt4 xxvii1 #ej4   
#cf4 ,modern ,temples4--,from that time 
until the present dispensation1  no     
other temples have been reared on the   
eastern continent4 ,it is  true1        

imposing edifices have been erected for 
the purposes of worship2  but a colossal
 structure does not necessarily         
constitute a temple4 ,a  temple is more 
than a church-building1 a meeting-house1
 a tabernacle1  or a synagogue2 it is a 
place specially prepared by dedication  
unto  the ,lord1 and marked by ,his     
acceptance1 for the performing of the   
ordinances pertaining to the ,holy      
,priesthood4 ,the ,latter-day ,saints1  
true to the characteristics of the      
chosen of ,god1#dej have been from  the 
first a temple-building people4 ,only a 
few months after the  organization of   
the ,church in the present dispensation1
 the ,lord made  reference to a temple  
which was to be built4#dea ,in ,july1   
#ahca1 the  ,lord designated a spot in  
,independence1 ,mo41 as the site of a   
future  temple2#deb but the work of     
construction thereon has not yet been   
consummated1 as is likewise the case    
with the temple site at ,far ,west1  on 
which the corner-stones were laid ,july 

#d1 #ahch1 and relaid ,april  #bf1      
#ahci4      #dej ,doc4 and ,cov4 cxxiv1 
#ci4 ,see ,the ,house of the ,lord4     
#dea ,doc4 and ,cov4 xxxvi1 #h4         
#deb ,doc4 and ,cov4 lvii1 #c4    #cg4  
,the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of       
,latter-day ,saints has constructed     
temples1 each an imposing and costly    
structure1 at ,kirtland1 ,ohio2         
,nauvoo1 ,illinois2 ,st4 ,george1       
,logan1 ,manti1 and ,salt ,lake ,city1  
,utah2  ,cardston1 ,canada2 and ,laie1  
,hawaiian ,islands4 ,the temples at     
,kirtland  and ,nauvoo were abandoned as
 the members of the ,church who had     
built  them through sacrifice yet untold
 were driven westward by the force of   
persecution4 ,the building at ,kirtland 
is now used as an ordinary              
meeting-house by a small sect that is   
but little known and that  evinces no   
activity in the sacred labors for which 
temples are built4  ,the temple at      
,nauvoo was destroyed through malicious 
incendiarism4 ,the  magnitude and       

grandeur of the sacred labors           
accomplished in the  temples of the     
present dispensation1 for the salvation 
of both the  living and the dead1 give  
assurance of the ,lord's gracious       
acceptance4#dec      #dec ,for a        
comprehensive treatment see the author's
 work4 ,the    ,house of the ,lord--a   
study of holy sanctuaries1 ancient and  
modern3 #ccf pp4 with illustrations4    
,,notes4         #a4 ,usage of the ,term
 ,baptize in ,ancient ,times4--,the     
following       instances show the      
ordinary meaning attached to the ,greek 
term       from which our word baptize  
is derived4 ,in all1 the idea of        
immersion is plainly intended4--7,for   
these and other examples1       see     
,millennial ,star1 ,vol4 ,,xxi1 pp4     
#fhg-fhh47         ,polybius1 a writer  
of history1 who flourished during the   
second       century before ,christ1    
uses the following expressions3 ,in     
describing a naval conflict between the 
,carthaginian and ,roman       fleets   

off the shores of ,sicily he says1 ,if  
any were hard       pressed by the enemy
 they withdrew safely back1 on account  
of       their fast sailing into the    
open sea3 and then turning round and    
falling on those of their pursuers who  
were in advance1 they gave       them   
frequent blows and 'baptized' many of   
their vessels4--,book       ,i1 ch4 #ea4
         ,the same writer thus refers to
 the passage of the ,roman soldiers     
through the river ,trebia3 ,when the    
passage of the river ,trebia       came 
on1 which had risen above its usual     
current1 on account of       the rain   
which had fallen1 the infantry with     
difficulty crossed       over1 being    
'baptized' up to the chest4--,book      
,,iii1 ch4 #gb4         ,describing a   
catastrophe which befell the ,roman     
ships at       ,syracuse1 ,polybius     
states3 ,some were upset1 but the       
greater       number1 their prow being  
thrown down from a height1 were         
'baptized' and became full of sea4      

,strabo1 who lived during the time of   
,christ1 used the term       baptized in
 the same sense4 ,he thus describes an  
instrument       used in fishing3 ,and  
if it fall into the sea it is not lost3 
for it is compacted of oak and pine     
wood3 so that even if the oak       is  
'baptized' by its weight1 the remaining 
part floats and is       easily         
recovered4         ,strabo refers to the
 buoyancy of certain saline waters thus3
       ,these have the taste of salt    
water1 but a different nature1 for      
even persons who cannot swim are not    
liable to be 'baptized' in       them1  
but float like logs on the surface4     
,referring to a salt spring in ,tatta1  
the same writer says3 ,so       easily  
does the water form a crust round       
everything 'baptized'       into it that
 if persons let down a circlet of rushes
 they will       draw up wreaths of     
salt4         ,speaking of a species of 
pitch from the lake ,sirbonis1 ,strabo  
says3 ,it will float on the surface     

owing to the nature of the       water1 
which1 as we said1 is such as to render 
swimming       unnecessary1 and such    
that one who walks upon it is not       
'baptized4'         ,dio ,cassius1      
speaking of the effects of a severe     
storm near ,rome       says3 ,the       
vessels which were in the ,tiber1 which 
were lying at       anchor near the     
city1 and to the river's mouth1 were    
'baptized4'         ,the same author    
thus alludes to the fate of some of     
,curio's       soldiers while fleeing   
before the forces of ,juba3 ,not a few  
of       these fugitives perished1 some 
being knocked down in their             
attempts to get on board the vessels1   
and others1 even when in       the      
boats1 being 'baptized' through their   
weight4         ,alluding to the fate of
 the ,byzantians who endeavored to      
escape       the siege by taking to the 
sea1 he says3 ,some of those1 from the  
extreme violence of the wind1 were      
'baptized4'         #b4 ,baptism among  

the ,greeks4--,the native ,greeks must  
understand their own language better    
than foreigners1 and they       have    
always understood the word baptism to   
signify dipping2 and       therefore    
from their first embracing of           
,christianity to this day       they    
have always baptized1 and do yet        
baptize1 by       immersion4--,robinson4
         #c4 ,early ,form of ,christian 
,baptism4--,history furnishes ample     
proof that in the first century after   
the death of ,christ1       baptism was 
administered solely by immersion4       
,tertullian thus       refers to the    
immersion ceremony common in his day3   
,there is no       difference whether   
one is washed in a sea or in a pool1 in 
a       river or in a fountain1 in a    
lake or in a channel3 nor is there      
any difference between those whom ,john 
dipped in ,jordan1 and       those whom 
,peter dipped in the ,tiber4444 ,we are 
immersed in the       water4            
,the following are but a few of the     

instances on record 7see                
,millennial ,star1 ,vol4 ,,xxi1 pp4     
#gfi-ggj73         ,justin ,martyr      
describes the ceremony as practiced by  
himself4       ,first describing the    
preparatory examination of the          
candidate1 he       proceeds3 ,after    
that they are led by us to where there  
is water1       and are born again in   
that kind of new birth by which we      
ourselves were born again4 ,for upon the
 name ,god1 the ,father and       ,lord 
of all1 and of ,jesus ,christ1 our      
,savior1 and of the ,holy       ,spirit1
 the immersion in water is performed1   
because the ,christ       hath also     
said1 ',except a man be born again1 he  
cannot enter into       the kingdom of  
heaven4'         ,bishop ,bennet says   
concerning the practices of the early   
,christians3 ,they led them into the    
water and laid them down in       the   
water as a man is laid in a grave2 and  
then they said those       words1 ',i   
baptize 7or wash7 thee in the name of   

the ,father1 ,son1       and ,holy      
,ghost'2 then they raised them up again1
 and clean       garments were put on   
them2 from whence came the phrases of   
being       baptized into ,christ's     
death1 of being buried with ,him by     
baptism       into death1 of our being  
risen with ,christ1 and of our putting  
on       the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 of   
putting off the old man1 and putting on 
the new4         ,that the apostles     
immersed whom they baptized there is no 
doubt4444 ,and that the ancient church  
followed their example is       very    
clearly evinced by innumerable          
testimonies of the                      
fathers4--,vossius4         ,burying as 
it were the person baptized in the      
water1 and raising       him out again1 
without question was anciently the more 
usual       method4--,archbishop        
,secker4         ',immersion' was the   
usual method in which baptism was       
administered in the early ,church4444   
,immersion was undoubtedly a            

common mode of administering baptism1   
and was not discontinued       when     
infant baptism prevailed4444 ,sprinkling
 gradually took the       place of      
immersion without any formal            
renunciation of the                     
latter4--,canon ,farrar4         #d4    
,the ,fathers and the ,children4--,the  
revelation in our day of       the      
doctrine of baptism for the dead may be 
said to have       constituted a new    
epoch in the history of our race4 ,at   
the time       the ,prophet ,joseph     
received that revelation1 the belief was
       general in ,christendom that at  
death the destiny of the soul was       
fixed irrevocably and for all eternity4 
,if not rewarded with       endless     
happiness1 then endless torment was its 
doom1 beyond all       possibility of   
redemption or change4 ,the horrible and 
monstrous       doctrine1 so much at    
variance with every element of ,divine  
justice1 was generally believed1 that   
the heathen nations who had       died  

without a knowledge of the true ,god1   
and the redemption       wrought out by 
,his ,son ,jesus ,christ1 would all be  
eternally       consigned to hell4 ,the 
belief upon this point is illustrated by
       the reply of a certain ,bishop to
 the inquiry of the king of the         
,franks1 when the king was about to     
submit to baptism at the hands       of 
the bishop4 ,the king was a heathen1 but
 had concluded to       accept the form 
of religion then called ,christianity4  
,the thought       occurred to him that 
if baptism were necessary for his       
salvation1       what had become of his 
dear ancestors who had died heathens8   
,this       thought framed itself into  
an inquiry which he addressed to the    
bishop4 ,the prelate1 less politic than 
many of his sect1 bluntly       told him
 they had gone to hell4 ',then1 by      
,thor1 ,i will go there       with      
them1' said the king1 and thereupon     
refused to accept       baptism or      
become a ,christian4--,geo4 ,q4         

,cannon's ,life of ,joseph       ,smith1
 p4 #eaj4         #e4 ,temples and      
,sacred ,places4--,when the ,lord       
brought ,israel       out of ,egypt1    
determined to make that people a nation 
to ,himself1       as soon as they had  
arrived at a safe distance from         
surrounding       peoples1 ,he required 
them to build a ,tabernacle1 which is   
sometimes called the ,temple1 wherein   
,he could institute certain             
ordinances and regulations for their    
guidance and worship4 ,this1       at   
the commencement of their pilgrimage in 
the wilderness1 was       made portable1
 and of the costliest and best material 
within       their reach2 and one of the
 tribes was set apart to have charge    
of it and its appurtenances4 ,such has  
ever been the purpose of       the      
,lord4 ,this served them through their  
journey and in the       promised       
,canaan1 until suitable wealth enabled  
,solomon to erect a       magnificent   
,temple on ,mount ,moriah1 since called 

',the ,hill of       ,zion1' to which   
all ,israel came annually to worship or 
attend       conference4 ,the ,lord has 
informed us 7,doc4 and ,cov4 cxxiv1 #ci7
       that ,his people are always      
commanded to build ,temples1 or holy    
houses1 unto ,his holy name4 ,this      
accounts for our reading in the         
,book of ,mormon of so many ,temples    
having been erected on this             
continent4 ,it also explains why the    
,prophet ,joseph so early       taught  
the commencement of a ,temple in every  
important location       of the         
,saints4--,compendium1 ,f4 ,d4 ,richards
 and ,j4 ,a4 ,little1       pp4         
#cja-cjb4 ,consult3 ,exo4 xxv-xxviii2 ,i
 ,kings vi-viii2 ,ezra vi2       ,,ii   
,nephi v1 #af2 and compare ,jacob i1    
#ag2 ii1 #b-aa2 ,mosiah i1 #ah2         
ii1 #f-g2 ,alma xvi1 #ac2 xxiii1 #b2    
xxvi1 #bi2 ,helaman iii1 #i2 x1 #h2     
,doc4 and ,cov4 i1 #g-i2 lxxxiv1 #c-e1  
#ca2 xcvii1 #aj2 cxxiv1 #bi-ea1         
#ee4 ,see also ,temples1 ,j4 ,m4        

,sjodahl1 ,salt ,lake ,city1 #ahib4 ,see
       ,the ,house of the ,lord1 a      
,study of ,holy ,sanctuaries1 ,ancient  
and       ,modern1 by ,james ,e4        
,talmage1 ,salt ,lake ,city1 #aiab4     
,,lecture ,,viii4    ,,the ,,holy       
,,ghost4         ,article #d4--,we      
believe that the first principles and   
ordinances       of the ,gospel         
are3--444 7#d7 ,laying on of hands for  
the gift of       the ,holy ,ghost4     
#a4 ,the ,holy ,ghost ,promised4--,john 
the ,baptist1 proclaiming in the        
wilderness repentance and baptism by    
water1 foretold a second higher         
baptism1 which he characterized as being
 of fire and the ,holy ,ghost2  this was
 to follow his administration1#ded and  
was to be given by  that ,mightier ,one 
whose shoes the ,baptist considered     
himself unworthy  to bear4 ,that the    
holder of this superior authority was   
none other  than the ,christ is proved  
by ,john's solemn record3--,behold the  
,lamb  of ,god4444 ,this is he of whom  

,i said1 ,after me cometh a man which is
  preferred before me4444 ,and ,i knew  
him not1 but he that sent me to  baptize
 with water1 the same said unto me3     
,upon whom thou shalt see  the ,spirit  
descending and remaining on him1 the    
same is he which  baptizeth with the    
,holy ,ghost4#dee      #ded ,matt4 iii1 
#b-c1 #aa2 ,mark i1 #h2 ,luke iii1 #af4 
#dee ,john i1 #bi-cc4    #b4 ,in        
declaring to ,nicodemus#def the         
necessity of baptism1 the  ,savior did  
not stop with a reference to the watery 
birth alone1 that  being incomplete     
without the quickening influence of the 
,spirit2 born  of water and of the      
,spirit is the necessary condition of   
him who is to  gain admittance to the   
kingdom4 ,many of the scriptural        
passages quoted  in proof of the purpose
 and necessity of baptism1 show baptism 
by fire  and the ,holy ,ghost to be     
closely associated with the prescribed  
ordinance of immersion in water4        
#def ,john iii1 #c-e4    #c4 ,christ's  

instructions to ,his apostles comprise  
repeated promises  concerning the coming
 of the ,comforter1 and the ,spirit of  
,truth1#deg by which expressive terms   
the ,holy ,ghost is designated4  ,in    
,his last interview with the apostles1  
at the termination of which  ,he        
ascended into heaven1 the ,lord repeated
 these assurances of a  spiritual       
baptism1 which was then soon to take    
place4#deh ,the  fulfillment of this    
great prediction was realized at the    
succeeding  ,pentecost1 when the        
apostles1 having assembled together1    
were endowed  with mighty power from    
heaven1#dei being filled with the ,holy 
,ghost  so that they spake in tongues   
other than their own as the ,spirit gave
  them utterance4 ,among other          
manifestations of this heavenly gift1   
may  be mentioned the appearance of     
flames of fire like unto tongues1 which 
rested upon each of them4 ,the promise  
so miraculously fulfilled upon          
themselves was repeated by the apostles 

to those who sought their  instruction4 
,peter1 addressing the ,jews on that    
same day1 declared1 on  the condition of
 their acceptable repentance and        
baptism1 ,ye shall  receive the gift of 
the ,holy ,ghost4#dfj      #deg ,john   
xiv1 #af-ag1 #bf2 xv1 #bf2 xvi1 #g1 #ac4
      #deh ,acts i1 #e4      #dei ,acts 
ii1 #a-d4      #dfj ,acts ii1 #ch4      
#d4 ,book of ,mormon evidence is not    
less conclusive regarding the ,holy     
,spirit's visitation unto those who obey
 the requirements of water  baptism4    
,nephi1 ,lehi's son1 bore solemn record 
of this truth1#dfa as  made known to him
 by the voice of ,god4 ,and the words of
 the  resurrected ,savior to the        
,nephites come in plainness             
indisputable1 and  with authority not to
 be questioned1 proclaiming the baptism 
of fire  and the ,holy ,ghost unto all  
those who obey the preliminary          
requirements4#dfb      #dfa ,,ii ,nephi 
xxxi1 #h1 #ab-ad1 #ag4      #dfb ,,iii  
,nephi xi1 #cf2 xii1 #b4    #e4 ,unto   

the ,saints in the dispensation of the  
fulness of times1 the  same great       
promise has been made4 ,i say unto you  
again1 spake the  ,lord in addressing   
certain elders of the ,church1 that     
every soul that  believeth on your      
words1 and is baptized by water for the 
remission of  sins shall receive the    
,holy ,ghost4#dfc      #dfc ,doc4 and   
,cov4 lxxxiv1 #fd4    #f4 ,personality  
and ,powers of the ,holy ,ghost4--,the  
,holy ,ghost is  associated with the    
,father and the ,son in the ,godhead4   
,in the light of  revelation1 we are    
instructed as to the distinct           
personality of the  ,holy ,ghost4 ,he is
 a ,being endowed with the attributes   
and powers of  ,deity1 and not a mere   
thing1 force1 or essence4 ,the term     
,holy ,ghost  and its common synonyms1  
,spirit of ,god1#dfd ,spirit of the     
,lord1 or  simply1 ,spirit1#dfe         
,comforter1#dff and ,spirit of          
,truth1#dfg occur  in the scriptures    
with plainly different meanings1        

referring in some  cases to the person  
of ,god1 the ,holy ,ghost1 and in other 
instances to  the power or authority of 
this great ,being4 ,the context of such 
passages will show which of these       
significations applies4      #dfd ,matt4
 iii1 #af2 xii1 #bh2 ,i ,nephi xiii1    
#ab4      #dfe ,i ,nephi iv1 #f2 xi1 #h2
 ,mos4 xiii1 #e2 ,acts ii1 #d2 viii1    
#bi2 x1    #ai3 ,rom4 viii1 #aj1 #bf2 ,i
 ,thess4 v1 #ai4      #dff ,john xiv1   
#af-bf2 xv1 #bf4      #dfg ,john xv1    
#bf2 xvi1 #ac4    #g4 ,the ,holy ,ghost 
undoubtedly possesses personal powers   
and  affections2 these attributes exist 
in ,him in perfection4 ,thus1 ,he       
teaches and guides1#dfh testifies of the
 ,father and the ,son1#dfi  reproves for
 sin1#dgj speaks1 commands1 and         
commissions1#dga makes  intercession for
 sinners1#dgb is grieved1#dgc searches  
and  investigates1#dgd entices1#dge and 
knows all things4#dgf ,these are  not   
mere figurative expressions1 but plain  
statements of the  attributes and       

characteristics of this great           
,personage4 ,that the ,holy  ,spirit is 
capable of manifesting ,himself in the  
true form and figure  of ,god1 after    
which image man is shaped1 is indicated 
by the wonderful  interview between the 
,spirit and ,nephi1 in which ,he        
revealed ,himself  to the prophet1      
questioned him concerning his desires   
and belief1  instructed him in the      
things of ,god1 speaking face to face   
with the  man4 ,i spake unto him1 says  
,nephi1 as a man speaketh2 for ,i beheld
  that he was in the form of a man1 yet 
nevertheless ,i knew that it was  the   
,spirit of the ,lord2 and he spake unto 
me as a man speaketh to  another4#dgg   
,however1 the ,holy ,ghost does not     
possess a tangible  body of flesh and   
bones1 as do both the ,father and the   
,son1 but is a  personage of spirit4#dgh
      #dfh ,john xiv1 #bf2 xvi1 #ac4    
#dfi ,john xv1 #bf4      #dgj ,john xvi1
 #h4      #dga ,acts x1 #ai2 xiii1 #b2  
,rev4 ii1 #g2 ,i ,nephi iv1 #f2 xi1     

#b-h4      #dgb ,rom4 viii1 #bf4        
#dgc ,eph4 iv1 #cj4      #dgd ,i ,cor4  
ii1 #d-aj4      #dge ,mos4 iii1 #ai4    
#dgf ,alma vii1 #ac4      #dgg ,i ,nephi
 xi1 #aa4      #dgh ,doc4 and ,cov4     
cxxx1 #bb4    #h4 ,much of the confusion
 existing in our human conceptions      
concerning the nature of the ,holy      
,ghost arises from the common failure   
to segregate our ideas of ,his person   
and powers4 ,plainly1 such  expressions 
as being filled with the ,holy          
,ghost1#dgi and the ,spirit  falling    
upon men1 have reference to the powers  
and influences which  emanate from ,god1
 and which are characteristic of ,him2  
for the ,holy  ,ghost may in this way   
operate simultaneously upon many        
persons1 even  though they be widely    
separated2 whereas the actual person of 
the ,holy  ,ghost cannot be in more than
 one place at a time4 ,yet we read that 
through the power of the ,spirit1 the   
,father and the ,son operate in  their  
creative acts and in their general      

dealings with the human  family4#dhj    
,the ,holy ,ghost may be regarded as the
 minister of the  ,godhead1 carrying    
into effect the decisions of the        
,supreme ,council4      #dgi ,luke i1   
#ae1 #fg2 iv1 #a2 ,acts vi1 #c2 xiii1   
#i2 ,alma xxxvi1 #bd2    ,doc4 and ,cov4
 cvii1 #ef4      #dhj ,gen4 i1 #b2 ,neh4
 ix1 #cj2 ,job xxvi1 #ac2 ,psalms civ1  
#cj2 ,isa4    xlii1 #a2 ,acts x1 #ai2 ,i
 ,nephi x1 #ai2 ,alma xii1 #c2 ,doc4 and
 ,cov4 cv1    #cf2 xcvii1 #a4    #i4 ,in
 the execution of these great purposes1 
the ,holy ,ghost directs  and controls  
the numerous forces of ,nature1 of which
 indeed a few1 and  these perhaps of the
 minor order1 wonderful as even the     
least of them  seems to man1 have thus  
far been made known to the human mind4  
,gravitation1 sound1 heat1 light1 and   
the still more mysterious1  seemingly   
supernatural power of electricity1 are  
but the common  servants of the ,holy   
,spirit in ,his operations4 ,no earnest 
thinker1 no  sincere investigator       

supposes that he has yet learned of all 
the  forces existing in and operating   
upon matter2 indeed1 the observed       
phenomena of nature1 yet wholly         
inexplicable to him1 far outnumber      
those for which he has devised even a   
partial explanation4 ,there are  powers 
and forces at the command of ,god1      
compared with which1  electricity1 the  
most occult of all the physical agencies
 controlled  in any degree by man1 is as
 the pack-horse to the locomotive1 the  
foot  messenger to the telegraph1 the   
raft of logs to the ocean steamer4 ,man 
has scarcely glanced at the enginery of 
creation2 and yet the few  forces known 
to him have brought about miracles and  
wonders1 which but  for their actual    
realization would be beyond belief4     
,these mighty  agencies1 and the        
mightier ones still to man unknown1 and 
many1  perhaps1 to the present condition
 of the human mind unknowable1 do not   
constitute the ,holy ,ghost1 but the    
mere means ordained to serve ,divine    

purposes4    #aj4 ,subtler1 mightier1   
and more mysterious still than any or   
all of  the physical forces of nature1  
are the powers that operate upon        
conscious organisms1 the means by which 
the mind1 the heart1 the soul  of man   
may be affected4 ,in our ignorance of   
the true nature of  electric energy1 we 
speak of it as a fluid2 and so by       
analogy the  forces through which the   
mind is governed have been called       
spiritual  fluids4 ,the true nature of  
these higher powers is unknown to us1   
for  the conditions of comparison and   
analogy1 so necessary to our frail      
human reasoning1 are wanting2 still the 
effects are experienced by  all4 ,as the
 conducting medium in an electric       
current is capable of  conveying but a  
limited current1 the maximum strength   
depending upon  the resistance offered  
by the conductor1 and1 as separate      
circuits of  different degrees of       
conductivity may carry currents of      
widely varying  intensity1 so human     

souls are of varied capacity with       
respect to the  diviner powers4 ,but as 
the medium is purified1 as the          
obstructions are  removed1 so the       
resistance to the energy decreases1 and 
the forces  manifest themselves with    
greater perfection4 ,by analogous       
processes of  purification1 may our     
spirits be made more susceptible to the 
power of  life1 which is an emanation   
from the ,spirit of ,god4 ,therefore are
 we  taught to pray by word and action  
for a constantly increasing portion  of 
the ,spirit1 that is1 the power of the  
,spirit1 which is a measure of  the     
favor of ,god unto us4    #aa4 ,the     
,office of the ,holy ,ghost in ,his     
ministrations among men is  very fully  
described in scripture4 ,he is a        
,teacher sent from the  ,father2#dha and
 unto those who are entitled to ,his    
tuition ,he will  reveal all things     
necessary for the soul's advancement4   
,through the  influences of the ,holy   
,spirit1 the powers of the human mind   

may be  quickened and increased1 so that
 things past may be brought to          
remembrance4 ,he will serve as a guide  
in things divine unto all who  will obey
 ,him1#dhb enlightening every man1#dhc  
in proportion to his  humility and      
obedience2#dhd unfolding the mysteries  
of ,god1#dhe as  the knowledge thus     
revealed may tend to spiritual growth2  
conveying  knowledge from ,god to       
man2#dhf sanctifying those who have been
  cleansed through obedience to the     
requirements of the gospel2#dhg         
manifesting all things2#dhh and bearing 
witness unto men concerning  the        
existence and infallibility of the      
,father and the ,son4#dhi      #dha     
,john xiv1 #bf4      #dhb ,doc4 and     
,cov4 xlv1 #eg4      #dhc ,doc4 and     
,cov4 lxxxiv1 #de-dg4      #dhd ,doc4   
and ,cov4 cxxxvi1 #cc4      #dhe ,i     
,nephi x1 #ai4      #dhf ,doc4 and ,cov4
 cxxi1 #dc4      #dhg ,alma xiii1 #ab4  
#dhh ,doc4 and ,cov4 xviii1 #ah4        
#dhi ,john xv1 #bf2 ,acts v1 #cb2 xx1   

#bc2 ,i ,cor4 ii1 #aa2 xii1 #c2 ,,iii   
,nephi xi1 #cb4    #ab4 ,and not alone  
does the ,holy ,ghost bring to mind the 
past1 and  explain the things of the    
present1 but ,his power is manifested   
likewise in prophecy concerning the     
future2--,he shall show you things  to  
come1 declared the ,savior to the       
,apostles in promising the advent  of   
the ,comforter4 ,adam1 the first prophet
 of earth1 under the  influence of the  
,holy ,ghost predicted whatsoever should
 befall his  posterity unto the latest  
generation4#dij      #dij ,doc4 and     
,cov4 cvii1 #ef4    #ac4 ,the power of  
the ,holy ,ghost then is the spirit of  
prophecy and  revelation2 ,his office is
 that of enlightenment of the mind1     
quickening of the intellect1 and        
sanctification of the soul4    #ad4 ,to 
,whom is the ,holy ,ghost given8 ,not to
 all indiscriminately4  ,the ,redeemer  
declared to the apostles of old1 ,i will
 pray to the  ,father and he shall give 
you another ,comforter1 that he may     

abide with  you forever2 ,even the      
,spirit of truth2 whom the world cannot 
receive1  because it seeth him not1     
neither knoweth him4#dia ,clearly1 then1
 a  certain condition of the candidate  
is requisite before the ,holy ,ghost    
can be bestowed1 that is to say1 before 
the person can receive a right  to the  
company and ministrations of the        
,spirit4 ,god grants the ,holy  ,ghost  
unto the obedient2 and the bestowal of  
this gift follows faith1  repentance1   
and baptism by water4      #dia ,john   
xiv1 #af1 #ag4    #ae4 ,the apostles of 
old promised the ministration of the    
,holy ,ghost  unto those only who had   
received baptism by water for the       
remission of  sins2#dib ,john the       
,baptist gave assurances of the         
visitation of the  ,holy ,ghost to those
 only who were baptized unto            
repentance4#dic ,the  instance of       
,paul's rebaptizing the twelve disciples
 at ,ephesus before  he conferred upon  
them the ,holy ,ghost1 on account of a  

probable lack  of propriety or of       
authority in their first baptism1#did   
has already  been dwelt upon4 ,we read  
of a remarkable manifestation of power  
among  the people of ,samaria1#die to   
whom ,philip went and preached the ,lord
  ,jesus2 the people with one accord    
accepted his testimony and sought       
baptism4 ,then came unto them ,peter and
 ,john1 through whose  ministrations the
 ,holy ,ghost came upon the new         
converts1 whereas upon  none of them had
 the ,spirit previously fallen1 though  
all had been  baptized4      #dib ,acts 
ii1 #ch4      #dic ,matt4 iii1 #aa2     
,mark i1 #h4      #did ,acts xix1 #a-g2 
see page #adf4      #die ,acts viii1    
#e-h1 #ab1 #ad-ag4    #af4 ,the ,holy   
,ghost dwells not in tabernacles unfit  
and unworthy4  ,paul makes the sublime  
declaration that the body of man when   
filled  with the power of the ,holy     
,ghost becomes a temple of this spirit2 
and  the apostle specifies the penalty  
prescribed for defiling a structure     

sanctified by so holy a presence4#dif   
,faith in ,god leads to  repentance of  
sin1 this is followed by baptism in     
water for the  remission of sins1 and   
this in turn by the bestowal of the     
,holy ,ghost1  through whose power come 
sanctification and the specific gifts of
 ,god4      #dif ,i ,cor4 iii1 #af4 ,see
 also vi1 #ai2 ,,ii ,cor4 vi1 #af2 ,doc4
 and    ,cov4 xciii1 #ce4    #ag4 ,an   
,exception to the ,prescribed ,order is 
shown in the case of  the devout        
,gentile1 ,cornelius1 unto whom1        
together with his family1  came the     
,holy ,ghost1 with such power that they 
spake with new tongues  to the          
glorification of ,god1 and this before  
their baptism4#dig ,but  sufficient     
reason for this departure from the usual
 order is seen in  the prejudice that   
existed among the ,jews toward other    
nations1 which1  but for the ,lord's    
direct instructions to ,peter1 would    
have hindered1  if indeed it did not    
prevent1 the apostle from ministering   

unto the  ,gentiles2 as it was1 his act 
was loudly condemned by his own people2 
but he answered their criticisms with a 
recital of the lesson given  him of     
,god1 and the undeniable evidence of the
 ,divine will as shown in  the reception
 of the ,holy ,ghost by ,cornelius and  
his family before  baptism4      #dig   
,acts x4    #ah4 ,and in another sense  
the ,holy ,ghost has frequently operated
 for  good through persons that are     
unbaptized2 indeed1 some measure of this
  power is given to all mankind2 for1 as
 seen already1 the ,holy ,spirit  is the
 power of intelligence1 of wise         
direction1 of development1 of  life4    
,manifestation of the power of ,god1 as 
made plain through the  operations of   
the ,spirit1 are seen in the triumphs of
 ennobling art1  the discoveries of true
 science1 and the events of history2    
with all  of which the carnal mind may  
believe that ,god takes no direct       
concern4  ,not a truth has ever been    
made the property of human kind except  

through the power of that great ,spirit 
who exists to do the bidding of  the    
,father and the ,son4 ,and yet the      
actual companionship of the ,holy       
,ghost1 the divinely-bestowed right to  
,his ministrations1 the  sanctifying    
baptism with fire1 are given as a       
permanent possession  only to the       
faithful1 repentant1 baptized candidate 
for salvation2 and  with all such this  
gift shall abide1 unless it be forfeited
 through  transgression4    #ai4 ,the   
,bestowal of the ,holy ,ghost is        
effected through the ordinance  of an   
oral blessing1 pronounced upon the      
candidate by the proper  authority of   
the ,priesthood1 accompanied by the     
imposition of hands by  him or those    
officiating4 ,that this was the mode    
followed by the  apostles of old is     
evident from the ,jewish scriptures2    
that it was  practiced by the early     
,christian ,fathers is proved by        
history2 that it  was the acknowledged  
method among the ,nephites is plainly   

shown by the  ,book of ,mormon records2 
and for the same practice in the present
  dispensation authority has come direct
 from heaven4    #bj4 ,among the        
instances recorded in the ,new          
,testament1 we may  mention the         
following3 ,peter and ,john conferred   
the ,holy ,ghost upon  ,philip's        
converts at ,samaria1 as already noted1 
and the ordinance was  performed by     
prayer and the laying on of hands4#dih  
,paul operated in  the same manner on   
the ,ephesians whom he had caused to be 
baptized2  and when he had laid his     
hands upon them1 the ,holy ,ghost came  
on  them1 and they spake with tongues   
and prophesied4#dii ,paul also  refers  
to this ordinance in his admonition to  
,timothy not to neglect  the gift so    
bestowed4#ejj ,the same apostle1 in     
enumerating the  cardinal principles and
 ordinances of the ,church of ,christ1  
includes  the laying on of hands as     
following baptism4#eja      #dih ,acts  
viii1 #ad-ag4 ,read the account of      

,simon1 the magician1    in the same    
chapter4      #dii ,acts xix1 #b-f4     
#ejj ,,ii ,tim4 i1 #f4      #eja ,heb4  
vi1 #a-b4    #ba4 ,alma so invoked the  
power of the ,holy ,ghost in behalf of  
his  co-laborers3#ejb--;,he clapped his 
hands upon all them who were with  him4 
,and behold1 as he clapped his hands    
upon them they were filled  with the    
,holy ,spirit4 ,the ,savior gave        
authority to the twelve chosen          
,nephites1#ejc by touching them one by  
one2 they were thus  commissioned to    
bestow the ,holy ,ghost4      #ejb ,alma
 xxxi1 #cf4      #ejc ,,iii ,nephi      
xviii1 #cf1 #cg4    #bb4 ,in this       
dispensation1 it has been made a duty of
 the ,priesthood  to confirm those who  
are baptized into the ,church by the    
laying on of  hands for the baptism of  
fire and the ,holy ,ghost4#ejd ,the     
,lord has  promised that the ,holy      
,ghost shall follow these authoritative 
acts of  ,his servants4#eje ,the        
ceremony of laying on of hands for the  

bestowal  of the ,holy ,ghost is        
associated with that of confirmation in 
the  ,church4 ,the officiating elder    
acting in the name and by the authority 
of ,jesus ,christ1 says1 ,receive ye the
 ,holy ,ghost2 and ,i confirm  you a    
member of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ 
of ,latter-day ,saints4  ,even these    
words are not prescribed1 but their     
meaning should be  expressed in the     
ceremony2 and to such may be added other
 words of  blessing and invocation as   
the ,spirit of the ,lord may dictate to 
the  officiating elder4 ,this act       
completes the outward form of the       
baptism  so indispensable to            
salvation--the birth of water and of the
 ,spirit4      #ejd ,doc4 and ,cov4 xx1 
#da1 #dc4      #eje ,doc4 and ,cov4     
xxxv1 #f2 xxxix1 #f1 #bc2 xlix1 #aa-ad4 
#bc4 ,the authority to so bestow the    
,holy ,ghost belongs to the higher  or  
,melchizedek ,priesthood1#ejf whereas   
water-baptism may be  administered by a 
priest1 officiating in the ordinances of

 the lesser  or ,aaronic order of       
priesthood4#ejg ,this order of          
authority1 as made  known through       
revelation1 explains that while ,philip 
had authority to  administer the        
ordinance of baptism to the converted   
,samaritans1  others who held the higher
 priesthood had to be sent to confer    
upon  them the ,holy ,ghost4#ejh        
#ejf ,doc4 and ,cov4 xx1 #ch-dc4        
#ejg ,doc4 and ,cov4 xx1 #df1 #ej4      
#ejh ,see ,acts viii1 #e-ag4    #bd4    
,gifts of the ,spirit4--,as already     
pointed out1 the special office  of the 
,holy ,ghost is to enlighten and ennoble
 the mind1 to purify and  sanctify the  
soul1 to incite to good works1 and to   
reveal the things  of ,god4 ,but1 beside
 these general blessings1 there are     
certain  specific endowments promised in
 connection with the gifts of the ,holy 
,ghost4 ,said the ,savior1 ,these signs 
shall follow them that believe3  ,in my 
name shall they cast out devils1 they   
shall speak with new  tongues2 they     

shall take up serpents2 and if they     
drink any deadly  thing it shall not    
hurt them3 they shall lay hands on the  
sick and  they shall recover4#eji       
#eji ,mark xvi1 #ag-ah2 ,doc4 and ,cov4 
lxxxiv1 #fe-gh4    #be4 ,these gifts of 
the ,spirit are distributed in the      
wisdom of ,god  for the exaltation of   
,his children4 ,paul thus discourses    
concerning  them3 ,now1 concerning      
spiritual gifts1 brethren1 ,i would not 
have you  ignorant4444 ,now there are   
diversities of gifts1 but the same      
,spirit4444 ,but the manifestation of   
the ,spirit is given to every man  to   
profit withal4 ,for to one is given by  
the ,spirit the word of  wisdom2 to     
another the word of knowledge by the    
same ,spirit4 ,to  another faith by the 
same ,spirit2 to another the gift of    
healing by  the same ,spirit4 ,to       
another the working of miracles2 to     
another  prophecy2 to another discerning
 of spirits2 to another divers kind of  
tongues2 to another the interpretation  

of tongues4 ,but all these  worketh that
 one and the selfsame ,spirit1 dividing 
to every man  severally as he will4#eaj 
,no man is without some gift from the   
,spirit2 one person may possess several4
      #eaj ,i ,cor4 xii1 #h2 see also   
,moroni x1 #h-ah4      ,,notes4         
#a4 ,effect of the ,holy ,ghost on the  
,individual4--,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 man in his       
rudimental state in a subordinate sense 
of the       word4 ,or1 in other words1 
these attributes are in embryo1 and are 
to be gradually developed4 ,they        
resemble a bud1 a germ1 which           
gradually develops into bloom1 and then1
 by progress1 produces       the mature 
fruit 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 expands1
 and       purifies all the natural     
passions and affections1 and adapts them
       by the gift of wisdom1 to their  
lawful use4 ,it inspires1               
develops1 cultivates1 and matures all   
the fine-toned sympathies1       joys1  
tastes1 kindred feelings1 and affections
 of our nature4 ,it       inspires      
virtue1 kindness1 goodness1 tenderness1 
gentleness1 and       charity4 ,it      
develops beauty of person1 form and     
features4 ,it       tends to health1    
vigor1 animation1 and social feeling4   
,it       develops 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--,parley ,p4 ,pratt1 ,key to     
,theology1 pp4 #if-ig       7#dth ed474 

#b4 ,the ,laying on of ,hands4--,from   
the scriptures cited1 it is       plain 
that the usual ceremony of bestowing the
 gift of the ,holy       ,ghost         
consisted in part in the imposition of  
hands by those in       authority 7,acts
 viii1 #ag2 ix1 #ag2 xix1 #b-f2 ,alma   
xxxi1 #cf2 ,,iii       ,nephi xviii1    
#cf-cg2 ,doc4 and ,cov4 xx1 #da74 ,the  
same outward sign       has marked other
 authoritative acts3 for example1       
ordination to       the priesthood2 and 
administration to the sick4 ,it is      
probable       that ,paul had reference 
to ,timothy's ordination when he exhorts
       him thus3 ,neglect not the gift  
that is in thee1 which was given        
thee by prophecy1 with the laying on of 
the hands of the       presbytery 7,i   
,tim4 iv1 #ad74 ,and again1 ,stir up the
 gift of ,god1       which is in thee by
 the putting on of my hands 7,,ii ,tim4 
i1 #f74       ,the first ordination to  
the priesthood in latter times was done 
by the imposition of hands by ,john the 

,baptist 7,doc4 and ,cov4       xiii74  
,that ,christ in healing the sick       
sometimes laid ,his hands       upon the
 afflicted ones is certain 7,mark vi1   
#e72 and ,he left with       ,his       
apostles a promise that healing should  
follow the       authoritative laying on
 of hands 7,mark xvi1 #ae1 #ah74 ,the   
same       promise has been repeated in 
this day 7,doc4 and ,cov4 xlii1         
#dc-dd74 ,yet1 notwithstanding the      
importance given to this sign of        
authority1 the laying on of hands is but
 exceptional among the       practices  
of the many sects professing            
,christianity to-day4         #c4       
,operation of the ,holy ,ghost4--,the   
means through which the       ,holy     
,ghost operates are no more truly the   
,holy ,ghost in person       than are   
the light and heat and actinic energy of
 the sun1 the       sun itself4 ,the    
influence1 spirit1 or power of the ,holy
 ,ghost is       that of enlightenment  
and progression1 and this is given unto 

men       in proportion to their        
receptiveness and worthiness2 but the   
right to the special ministrations of   
the third member of the       ,godhead  
is obtainable only through compliance   
with the       preliminary requirements 
of the ,gospel--faith1 repentance1 and  
baptism4         #d4 ,mode of           
,conferring the ,holy                   
,ghost4--,questions have arisen as      
to the ceremony of confirmation and the 
bestowal of the ,holy       ,ghost1     
particularly as to the propriety of     
saying3 ,receive ye       the ,holy     
,ghost2 or ,receive ye the ,gift of the 
,holy ,ghost44       ,since the         
companionship of the ,holy ,ghost       
embraces all the       spiritual graces 
and gift in so far as such are deserved 
by and       appropriate to the person1 
the ,church teaches that officiating    
,elders in confirming baptized          
candidates should use the form3         
,receive ye the ,holy ,ghost4           
,in explaining the reception of the     

,holy ,ghost by the apostles of         
old1 the ,first ,presidency of the      
,church issued an instructive           
statement ,feb4 #e1 #aiaf4 ,see         
,,deseret ,,news of that date1 and      
,improvement ,era1 ,march1 #aiaf2 and   
for excerpt from same see       ,jesus  
the ,christ 7third and later editions71 
p4 #gbj4          ,,lecture ,,ix4       
,,the ,,sacrament ,,of ,,the ,,lord',s  
,,supper4    ,in connection with        
,article #d4      #a4 ,the              
,sacrament4--,in the course of our study
 of the principles and  ordinances of   
the ,gospel1 as specified in the fourth 
of the ,articles  of ,faith1 the subject
 of the sacrament of the ,lord's        
,supper#eaa very  properly claims       
attention1 the observance of this       
ordinance being  required of all who    
have become members of the ,church of   
,christ  through compliance with the    
requirements of faith1 repentance1 and  
baptism by water and by the ,holy       
,ghost4      #eaa ,see ,notes #a and #b4

    #b4 ,institution of the ,sacrament  
among the ,jews4--,the sacrament of  the
 ,lord's ,supper dates from the night of
 the ,passover feast#eab  immediately   
preceding the crucifixion of the        
,savior4 ,on that solemn  occasion1     
,christ and ,his apostles were assembled
 in ,jerusalem1 keeping  the feast in an
 upper room1 which had been made ready  
by ,his express  command4#eac ,as a     
,jew1 ,christ appears to have been ever 
loyal to the  established usages of ,his
 people2 and it must have been with most
  extraordinary feelings that ,he       
entered upon this commemorative feast1  
the last of its kind bearing the        
significance of the type of a future    
sacrifice1 as well as a reminder of     
,god's favor in the past4 ,knowing  well
 the terrible experiences immediately   
awaiting ,him1 ,he communed  with the   
,twelve at the paschal board in anguish 
of soul1 prophesying  concerning ,his   
betrayal1 which was soon to be          
accomplished by the  agency of one who  

there ate with ,him4 ,then ,he took     
bread1 and blessed  it and gave it to   
,his disciples1 saying1 ,take1 eat2 this
 is my  body2#ead this do in remembrance
 of me4#eae ,afterward1 taking the  cup1
 ,he blessed its contents and           
administered it to them with the  words1
 ,drink ye all of it2 for this is my    
blood of the new testament1  which is   
shed for many for the remission of      
sins4#eaf ,it is  interesting to note   
that the account of the sacrament and   
its purport  as given by ,paul#eag      
resembles so closely as to be almost    
identical  with the descriptions        
recorded by the evangelists4 ,the       
designation of  the ,sacrament as the   
,lord's ,supper is used by no biblical  
writer other  than ,paul4      #eab ,see
 ,note #c4      #eac ,luke xxii1 #h-ac4 
#ead ,matt4 xxvi1 #bf4      #eae ,luke  
xxii1 #ai2 see also ,mark xiv1 #bb-be4  
#eaf ,matt4 xxvi1 #bg-bh4 ,see ,the     
,great ,apostasy1 pp4 #aai1 #abj4       
#eag ,i ,cor4 xi1 #bc-be4    #c4        

,institution of the ,sacrament among the
 ,nephites4--,on the occasion  of ,his  
visit to the ,nephites1 which occurred  
shortly after ,his  resurrection1       
,christ established the sacrament among 
this division of  ,his flock4 ,he       
requested the disciples whom ,he had    
chosen to bring ,him  bread and wine2   
then taking the bread1 ,he brake it1    
blessed it1 and  gave it to the         
disciples with the command that they    
should eat and  afterward distribute to 
the people4 ,the authority to administer
 this  ordinance ,he promised to leave  
with the people4 ,and this shall ye     
always observe to do1 said ,he1 even as 
,i have done4444 ,and this  shall ye do 
in remembrance of my body1 which ,i have
 shewn unto you4  ,and it shall be a    
testimony unto the ,father that ye do   
always remember  me4 ,and if ye do      
always remember me1 ye shall have my    
,spirit to be  with you4#eah ,the wine  
was administered in the same order1     
first to  the disciples1 then by them to

 the people4 ,this also was to be part  
of  the standing ordinance among the    
people3--,and ye shall do it in         
remembrance of my blood which ,i have   
shed for you1 that ye may  witness unto 
the ,father that ye do always remember  
me4 ,then followed  a reiteration of the
 great promise1 ,and if ye do always    
remember me1  ye shall have my ,spirit  
to be with you4#eai      #eah ,,iii     
,nephi xviii1 #f1 #g4      #eai ,,iii   
,nephi xviii4 #aa4 ,see ,jesus the      
,christ1 ch4 xxxix4    #d4 ,fit         
,partakers of the ,sacrament4--,the     
,divine instructions  concerning the    
sacredness of this ordinance are very   
explicit2 and the  consequent need of   
scrupulous care being exercised lest it 
be engaged  in unworthily is apparent4  
,in addressing the ,corinthian ,saints1 
,paul  utters solemn warnings against   
hasty or unworthy action in partaking   
of the sacrament1 and declares that the 
penalties of sickness1 and  even death1 
are visited upon those who violate the  

sacred  requirements4--,for as often as 
ye eat this bread1 and drink this cup1  
ye do shew the ,lord's death till he    
come4 ,wherefore whosoever shall  eat   
this bread1 and drink this cup of the   
,lord1 unworthily1 shall be  guilty of  
the body and blood of the ,lord4 ,but   
let a man examine  himself1 and so let  
him eat of that bread1 and drink of that
 cup4 ,for  he that eateth and drinketh 
unworthily1 eateth and drinketh         
damnation  to himself1 not discerning   
the ,lord's body4 ,for this cause many  
are  weak and sickly among you1 and many
 sleep4#ebj      #ebj ,i ,cor4 xi1      
#bf-cj4    #e4 ,when instructing the    
,nephites1 ,jesus laid great stress upon
 the  fitness of those who partook of   
the sacrament2 and moreover ,he placed  
much responsibility upon the officers of
 the ,church whose duty it was  to      
administer it1 that they should permit  
none whom they knew to be  unworthy to  
take part in the ordinance3--,and now   
behold1 this is the  commandment which  

,i give unto you1 that ye shall not     
suffer any one  knowingly to partake of 
my flesh and blood unworthily1 when ye  
shall  minister it2 for whoso eateth and
 drinketh my flesh and blood            
unworthily1 eateth and drinketh         
damnation to his soul2 therefore1 if  ye
 know that a man is unworthy to eat and 
drink of my flesh and blood1  ye shall  
forbid him4#eba      #eba ,,iii ,nephi  
xviii1 #bh1 #bi4    #f4 ,the direct word
 of the ,lord unto the ,saints in this  
dispensation  instructs them to permit  
no one who has committed trespass to    
partake  of the sacrament until         
reconciliation has been made2           
nevertheless the  ,saints are commanded 
to exercise abundant charity toward     
their erring  fellows1 not casting them 
out from the assemblies1 yet carefully  
withholding the sacrament from them4#ebb
 ,in our system of ,church              
organization1 the local ecclesiastical  
officers are charged with the           
responsibility of administering the     

sacrament1 and the people are  required 
to keep themselves worthy to partake of 
the sacred emblems4      #ebb ,doc4 and 
,cov4 xlvi1 #d4 ,see also ,,iii ,nephi  
xviii1 #cj4    #g4 ,there is an entire  
absence of scriptural sanction for      
giving the  sacrament to any who are not
 members in full fellowship in the      
,church  of ,christ4 ,christ            
administered the ordinance on the       
eastern continent  to ,his apostles     
only2 and we have record of their giving
 it to those  only who had assumed the  
name of ,christ4 ,amongst ,his western  
fold1  ,christ established the law that 
only the actual members of ,his ,church 
should partake4 ,in promising to ordain 
one among them with power to  officiate 
in the sacrament1 the ,savior specified 
that the one so  chosen should give it  
unto the people of ,his ,church1 unto   
all those  who believed and were        
baptized in ,his name4#ebc ,only those  
indeed who  had been so baptized were   
called the ,church of ,christ4#ebd      

,continuing  ,his instructions to the   
disciples concerning the sacrament1 the 
,savior  said3 ,this shall ye always do 
to those who repent and are baptized in 
my name4#ebe      #ebc ,,iii ,nephi     
xviii1 #e4      #ebd ,,iii ,nephi xxvi1 
#ba4      #ebe ,,iii ,nephi xviii1 #aa4 
#h4 ,and the same law is applicable     
to-day2 it is the members of the        
,church#ebf who are admonished to meet  
together often for the  observance of   
the sacrament2 and the ,church comprises
 none of mature  years who have not been
 baptized by the authority of the ,holy 
,priesthood4#ebg      #ebf ,doc4 and    
,cov4 xx1 #ge4      #ebg ,doc and ,cov4 
xx1 #hg4    #i4 ,purpose of the         
,sacrament4--,from the scriptural       
references already  made1 it is plain   
that the sacrament is administered to   
commemorate  the atonement of the ,lord 
,jesus1 as consummated in ,his agony and
  death2 it is a testimony before ,god1 
that we are mindful of ,his ,son's      
sacrifice made in our behalf2 and that  

we still profess the name of  ,christ   
and are determined to strive to keep    
,his commandments1 in the  hope that we 
may ever have ,his ,spirit to be with   
us4 ,partaking of the  sacrament        
worthily may be regarded therefore as a 
means of renewing  our covenants before 
the ,lord1 of acknowledgment of mutual  
fellowship  among the members1 and of   
solemnly witnessing our claim and       
profession  of membership in the ,church
 of ,christ4 ,the sacrament has not been
  established as a specific means of    
securing remission of sins2 nor for  any
 other special blessing1 aside from that
 of a fresh endowment of  the ,holy     
,spirit1 which1 however1 comprises all  
needful blessings4 ,were  the sacrament 
ordained for the remission of sins1 it  
would not be  forbidden to those who are
 in greatest need of special            
forgiveness2  yet participation in the  
ordinance is restricted to those whose  
consciences are void of serious offense1
 those1 therefore1 who are  acceptable  

before the ,lord2 those indeed who are  
in as little need of  special           
forgiveness as mortals can be4    #aj4  
,the ,sacramental ,emblems4--,in        
instituting the sacrament among  both   
the ,jews and the ,nephites1 ,christ    
used bread and wine as the  emblems of  
,his body and blood2#ebh and in this1   
the dispensation of  the fulness of     
times1 ,he has revealed ,his will that  
the ,saints meet  together often to     
partake of bread and wine in this       
commemorative  ordinance4#ebi ,but the  
,lord has also shown that other forms of
 food  and drink may be used in place of
 bread and wine4 ,very soon after the   
,church was organized in the present    
dispensation1 the ,prophet ,joseph  was 
about to purchase some wine for         
sacramental purposes1 when a  special   
messenger from ,god appeared to him1 and
 delivered the  following instructions3 
,for1 behold1 ,i say unto you1 that it  
mattereth not what ye shall eat1 or what
 ye shall drink1 when ye  partake of the

 sacrament1 if it so be that ye do it   
with an eye single  to my glory2        
remembering unto the ,father my body    
which was laid down  for you1 and my    
blood which was shed for the remission  
of your sins4  ,wherefore1 a commandment
 ,i give unto you1 that you shall not   
purchase  wine1 neither strong drink1 of
 your enemies3 ,wherefore you shall     
partake of none except it is made new   
among you2 yea in this my  ,father's    
kingdom which shall be built up upon the
 earth4#ecj ,upon  this authority1 the  
,latter-day ,saints administer water in 
their  sacramental service1 in          
preference to wine concerning the purity
 of  which they are not assured4        
,however1 in the vineyard districts of  
the  ,church territory1 wine has been   
generally used4      #ebh ,matt4 xxvi1  
#bg-bi2 ,,iii ,nephi xviii1 #a1 #h4     
#ebi ,doc4 and ,cov4 xx1 #ge4      #ecj 
,doc4 and ,cov4 xxvii1 #b-d4    #aa4    
,manner of ,administering the           
,sacrament4--,it is customary with the  

,latter-day ,saints in all wards or     
regularly organized branches of the     
,church1 to hold sacramental meetings   
every ,sabbath4 ,the authority of  the  
priest of the ,aaronic order of         
priesthood is requisite in  consecrating
 the emblems2 and1 as a matter of       
course1 any one holding  the higher     
order of priesthood has authority to    
officiate in this  ordinance4 ,the bread
 is first to be broken into small       
pieces1 and  placed in suitable         
receptacles on the sacramental table2   
and then1  according to the ,lord's     
direction1 the elder or priest shall    
administer it1 after this manner3--,he  
shall kneel with the ,church and  call  
upon the ,father in solemn prayer1      
saying3--    ,o ,god1 the ,eternal      
,father1 we ask thee in the name of thy 
,son1 ,jesus  ,christ1 to bless and     
sanctify this bread to the souls of all 
those who  partake of it1 that they may 
eat in remembrance of the body of thy   
,son1 and witness unto thee1 ,o ,god1   

the ,eternal ,father1 that they are     
willing to take upon them the name of   
thy ,son1 and always remember  him1 and 
keep his commandments which he has given
 them1 that they may  always have his   
,spirit to be with them4 ,amen4#eca     
#eca ,doc4 and ,cov4 xx1 #gf1 #gg2      
compare ,moroni iv4    #ab4 ,after the  
bread has been distributed to the       
congregation1 in  which labor the       
teachers and deacons may take part1     
under the  direction of the officiating 
priest1 the wine or water is consecrated
  in this manner3--    ,o ,god1 the     
,eternal ,father1 we ask thee1 in the   
name of thy ,son1  ,jesus ,christ1 to   
bless and sanctify this wine or water to
 the souls  of all those who drink of   
it1 that they may do it in remembrance  
of  the blood of thy ,son1 which was    
shed for them2 that they may witness    
unto thee1 ,o ,god1 the ,eternal        
,father1 that they do always remember   
him1 that they may have his ,spirit to  
be with them4 ,amen4#ecb      #ecb ,doc4

 and ,cov4 xx1 #gh-gi2 compare ,moroni  
v4    #ac4 ,the plainness of the ,lord's
 instructions to the ,saints regarding  
this ordinance1 leaves no excuse for    
disputation concerning the  ceremony1   
for assuredly no one who officiates in  
these holy rites can  feel that he is   
authorized to change the forms even by  
the alteration  of a word4 ,if ever the 
,lord desires a change in this          
ordinance1 ,he  will doubtless make it  
known through ,his established channels 
of the  priesthood4 ,the records of the 
,nephites clearly prove that the manner 
of administering the sacrament as       
practiced in their day1#ecc was the     
same as revealed for the guidance of the
 ,saints in the dispensation of  the    
fulness of times4      #ecc ,moroni iv2 
v4      ,,notes4         #a4 ,the ,term 
,sacrament is commonly used in both a   
general and       a specific sense2     
according to its derivation1 it         
signifies a       sacred thing or holy  
ceremony1 and with this meaning it is   

applied by different sects to several   
ceremonies of their       churches4     
,thus1 the ,protestants speak of two    
sacraments1--baptism       and the      
,lord's ,supper2 the ,roman and ,greek  
,catholics recognize       seven        
sacraments1--the two named above1 and   
also confirmation1       matrimony1 the 
bestowal of church orders1 penance1 and 
extreme       unction4 ,some sections of
 the ,greek church are said to exclude  
confirmation and extreme unction from   
among the seven sacraments4       ,with 
even greater latitude1 the term is      
applied to any miraculous       or      
spiritual manifestation2 it is so used  
by ,bishop ,jeremy ,taylor       when he
 says1 ,god sometime sent a light of    
fire1 and pillar of a       cloud 444   
and the sacrament of a rainbow1 to guide
 ,his people       through their portion
 of sorrows4 ,specifically1 however1 the
       word sacrament denotes the       
,lord's ,supper1 and in this sense alone
       does the word occur in           

,latter-day ,saint theology4 ,eucharist 
and       ,holy ,communion are terms    
employed in certain churches as         
synonymous with the sacrament of the    
,lord's supper4 ,from the       custom  
of regarding the ceremony of communion1 
that is1 the       partaking of the     
sacrament1 as an evidence of standing in
 any       church1 and from the rule    
which withholds this privilege from     
those who are judged to be unworthy of  
fellowship1 comes the term              
excommunicate1 as applied to deprivation
 of church fellowship1       meaning    
literally to cast out from communion4   
#b4 ,the ,lord's ,supper4--,as stated1  
this designation of the       sacrament 
occurs but once in the ,bible4 ,the     
,lord's ,supper is       referred to by 
,paul in his first epistle to the       
,corinthians4 ,in       all probability 
this name was used because the rite was 
first       administered at the time of 
the evening meal4 ,it must be           
remembered that the deipnon or evening  

supper among the ,jews       was the    
principal meal of the day1 and really   
corresponded to our       dinner4       
#c4 ,the ,passover and the              
,sacrament4--,the feast of the passover 
was the chief of the annual ceremonials 
of the ,jews1 and derived       its name
 from the circumstances of its origin4  
,in setting ,his       hand to deliver  
,israel from the bondage of ,egypt1 the 
,lord       wrought many miracles and   
wonders before ,pharaoh and his         
idolatrous house2 and1 as the last of   
the ten terrible plagues to       which 
the ,egyptians were subjected1 the first
 born of every       household was      
smitten with death during a single      
night4 ,by       previous command1 the  
,israelites had marked the posts and    
lintels       of their doorways with the
 blood of a lamb slain for the          
occasion1 the blood having been         
sprinkled by means of a bunch of        
hyssop4 ,in ,his passage through the    
land1 the ,lord passed over the         

houses so marked 7,exodus xii1 #ab1     
#ac72 while in all the ,egyptian        
homes the stroke of death was felt4     
,hence arises the name       ,passover1 
from pasach--to pass by4 ,the flesh of  
the paschal       lamb was eaten amid   
the haste of departure4 ,to commemorate 
their       deliverance from bondage1   
the ,lord required of the ,israelites an
       annual celebration of this event1
 the occasion being known as the        
,feast of the ,passover1 also as the    
,feast of ,unleavened ,bread1       the 
latter name arising from the ,lord's    
command that during the       specified 
time of the observance no leaven should 
be found in the       houses of the     
people 7,ex4 xii1 #ae72 and the occasion
 of the feast       was to be taken     
advantage of for instructing the        
children       concerning the merciful  
dealings of ,god with their forefathers 
7,ex4 xii1 #bf4 #bg74 ,but aside from   
its commemorative purpose1 the          
passover became to the people a type of 

the sacrifice on ,calvary4       ,paul  
says1 ,christ1 our passover1 is         
sacrificed for us 7,i ,cor4       v1    
#g74 ,as being typical of the future    
atoning death of ,christ1       the     
passover lost part of its significance  
by the crucifixion1       and was       
superseded by the sacrament4 ,there is  
perhaps no closer       relation between
 the two ordinances than this4 ,surely  
the       sacrament was not designed to 
fully supplant the passover1 for        
the latter was established as a         
perpetually recurring       feast3--,and
 the day shall be unto you for a        
memorial3 and ye       shall keep it a  
feast to the ,lord throughout your      
generations2 ye       shall keep it a   
feast by an ordinance forever 7,ex4 xii1
 #ad74         #d4 ,errors ,concerning  
the ,sacrament1 and its signification1  
and       the manner of administering   
it1 grew rapidly in the                 
professed-,christian churches during the
 early centuries of the       ,christian

 era4 ,as soon as the power of the      
priesthood had       departed1 much     
disputation arose in matters of         
ordinance1 and the       observance of  
the sacrament became distorted4         
,theological       teachers strove to   
foster the idea that there was much     
mystery       attending this naturally  
simple and most impressive ordinance2   
that all who were not in full communion 
with the ,church should be              
excluded1 not only from participation in
 the ordinance1 which was               
justifiable1 but from the privilege of  
witnessing the service1       lest they 
profane the mystic rite by their        
unhallowed presence4       ,then arose  
the heresy of transubstantiation1--which
 held that the       sacramental emblems
 by the ceremony of consecration lost   
their       natural character of simple 
bread and wine1 and became in reality   
flesh and blood1--actually parts of the 
crucified body of ,christ4              
,argument against such dogmas is        

useless4 ,then followed the             
veneration of the emblems by the people1
 the bread and       wine--regarded as  
part of ,christ's tabernacle1 being     
elevated in       the mass for the      
adoration of the people2 and later1 the 
custom       of suppressing half of the 
sacrament was introduced4 ,by the       
innovation last mentioned1 only the     
bread was administered1 the             
dogmatic assertion being that both the  
body and the blood were                 
represented in some mystical way in one 
of the elements4       ,certain it is1  
that ,christ required his disciples to  
both eat and       drink in remembrance 
of ,him4         #e4 ,sacrament         
,administered to ,unbaptized            
,children4--,questions       have been  
raised as to the propriety of           
administering the       sacrament to    
children below the age specified as that
 of baptism       into the ,church4 ,as 
indicated in a preceding lecture 7pp4   
#abg-acj71 children born in the ,church 

are members thereof without             
baptism until they arrive at the age of 
accountability4 ,there is               
seemingly no violation of law in        
administering the sacrament to          
such innocent subjects1 and as the      
living authorities of the       ,church 
have directed the practice1 the question
 of propriety is       answered4        
,nevertheless1 children should be taught
 that after they       have been        
baptized and confirmed in the ,church1  
the partaking of       the sacrament has
 to them an added significance1 in that 
it marks       a renewal of the         
covenants they made at the waters of    
baptism4          ,,lecture ,x4         
,,authority ,,in ,,the ,,ministry4      
,article #e4--,we believe that a man    
must be called of ,god1 by              
prophecy and by the laying on of hands  
by those who are in       authority1 to 
preach the ,gospel1 and administer in   
the ordinances       thereof4      ,,men
 ,,called ,,of ,,god4    #a4 ,scriptural

 ,examples4--,it is not less agreeable  
to the dictates of  human reason1 than  
it is conformable to the plan of perfect
  organization which characterizes the  
,church of ,christ1 that all who        
minister in the ordinances of the       
,gospel should be called and            
commissioned for their sacred duties by 
the authority of heaven4 ,the           
scriptures sustain this view most       
thoroughly2 they present to us an  array
 of men whose ,divine callings are      
specially attested1 and whose  mighty   
works declare a power greater than that 
of man4 ,on the other  hand1 not an     
instance is set down in holy writ of    
anyone taking to  himself the authority 
to officiate in sacred ordinances1 and  
being  acknowledged of the ,lord in such
 administration4    #b4 ,consider the   
case of ,noah1 who found grace in the   
eyes of the  ,lord#ecd in the midst of a
 wicked world4 ,unto him the ,lord      
spake1  announcing ,his displeasure with
 the wicked inhabitants of earth1 and   

the ,divine intention concerning the    
deluge2 and instructed him in the       
manner of building and stocking the ark4
 ,that ,noah declared the word  of ,god 
unto his perverse contemporaries is     
shown in ,peter's  declaration of       
,christ's mission in the spirit         
world1--that the ,savior  preached to   
those who had been disobedient during   
the period of ,god's  long suffering in 
the days of ,noah1 and who had in       
consequence  endured the privations of  
the prison house in the interval4#ece   
,surely none can question the ,divine   
source of ,noah's authority1 nor  the   
justice of the retributive punishment   
following the wilful  rejection of his  
teachings1 for his words were the words 
of ,god4      #ecd ,gen4 vi1 #h4        
#ece ,i ,peter iii1 #ai-bj4    #c4 ,so  
also with ,abraham1 the father of the   
faithful2 the ,lord called  him#ecf and 
made covenant with him for all the      
generations of his  posterity4          
,isaac#ecg was similarly distinguished2 

likewise  ,jacob1#ech to whom1 as he    
rested upon his pillow of stones in the 
desert1 the ,lord appeared4 ,unto       
,moses#eci came the voice of ,god       
amidst the fierceness of fire1 calling  
and commissioning the man to go  into   
,egypt and deliver therefrom the people 
whose cries had come up  with such      
effect before the throne of heaven4 ,in 
this great work  ,aaron#edj was called  
to assist his brother2 and later1 ,aaron
 and his  sons#eda were chosen by       
,divine direction from the midst of the 
children of ,israel to minister in the  
priest's office4 ,when ,moses#edb  saw  
that his days were numbered1 he         
solicited the ,lord to appoint a        
successor in his holy station2 and by   
special command1 ,joshua1 the son  of   
,nun1 was so selected4      #ecf ,gen4  
xii-xxv2 ,pearl of ,great ,price3 ,book 
of ,abraham4      #ecg ,gen4 xxvi1 #b-e4
      #ech ,gen4 xxviii1 #aj-ae4        
#eci ,exo4 iii1 #b-aj4      #edj ,exo4  
iv1 #ad-af1 #bg4      #eda ,exo4 xxviii1

 #a4      #edb ,numb1 xxvii1 #ae-bc4    
#d4 ,samuel1 who became so great a      
prophet in ,israel1 commissioned to     
consecrate1 command1 and rebuke kings1  
to direct armies1 and to serve  as the  
oracle of ,god unto the people1 was     
chosen while yet a boy1 and  called by  
the voice of the ,lord4#edc ,and such   
was the power that  followed this call1 
that all ,israel from ,dan to ,beersheba
 knew that  ,samuel was established a   
prophet of the ,lord4#edd ,time fails to
  permit the mention of many other men  
of might1 who received their  power from
 ,god1 whose histories portray the honor
 with which the ,lord  regarded ,his    
chosen ministers4 ,think of the heavenly
 vision by which  ,isaiah was called and
 directed in the duties of his prophetic
  office2#ede of ,jeremiah1 to whom the 
word of the ,lord came in the  days of  
,josiah2#edf of the priest ,ezekiel1 who
 first received the  ,divine message in 
the land of the ,chaldeans1#edg and     
subsequently on  other occasions2 of    

,hosea1#edh and all the rest of the     
prophets to  ,zechariah#edi and         
,malachi4#eej      #edc ,i ,sam4 iii1   
#d-ad4      #edd ,i ,sam4 iii1 #bj4     
#ede ,isa4 i1 #a2 ii1 #a2 vi1 #h-i4     
#edf ,jer4 i1 #b-aj4      #edg ,ezek4 i1
 #a4      #edh ,hos4 i1 #a4      #edi   
,zech4 i1 #a4      #eej ,mal4 i1 #a4    
#e4 ,the apostles of the ,lord were     
called by ,his own voice in the days  of
 ,his ministry2 and surely the ,savior's
 authority is beyond question1          
vindicated as it is by the mighty works 
of the atonement1 wrought  through pain 
and the anguish of death1 and by the    
authoritative  declaration of the       
,father at the time of ,christ's        
baptism4 ,peter1 and  ,andrew his       
brother1 while casting their nets into  
the sea1 were called  with the          
instruction1--,follow me1 and ,i will   
make you fishers of  men2#eea and soon  
after1 ,james and ,john1 the sons of    
,zebedee1 were  similarly called4 ,so   
with all of the chosen ,twelve who      

ministered with  the ,master2 and unto  
the ,eleven who had remained faithful1  
,he appeared  after ,his resurrection1  
giving them special commissions for the 
work  of the kingdom4#eeb ,christ       
specifically declares that ,he had      
chosen  ,his apostles1 and that ,he had 
ordained them in their exalted          
stations4#eec      #eea ,matt4 iv1      
#ah-bj4      #eeb ,matt4 xviii1 #ai-bj2 
,mark xvi1 #ae4      #eec ,john vi1 #gj2
 xv1 #af4    #f4 ,in the period         
immediately following that of ,christ's 
earthly  mission1 the ministers of the  
,gospel were all designated and set     
apart  by unquestionable authority4     
,even ,saul of ,tarsus1 afterward ,paul 
the  ,apostle1 who was converted with   
marvelous signs and wondrous            
manifestations1#eed had to be formally  
commissioned for the labor  which the   
,lord desired him to perform2 and we are
 told that the ,holy  ,ghost spake to   
the prophets and teachers of the ,church
 at ,antioch1  while they fasted before 

the ,lord1 saying1 ,separate me         
,barnabas and  ,saul for the work       
whereunto ,i have called them4#eee      
#eed ,acts ix4      #eee ,acts xiii1    
#a-b4    #g4 ,the ,ordination of ,men to
 the ,ministry1 as sanctioned by        
scriptural precedent1 and established by
 direct revelation of ,god's  will1 is  
to be effected through the gift of      
prophecy1 and by the  imposition of     
hands by those who are in authority4 ,by
 prophecy is  meant the right to        
receive1 and the power to interpret1    
manifestations  of the ,divine will4    
,that the laying on of hands is usual as
 a part of  the ceremony is seen in     
several of the instances already cited2 
nevertheless the scriptures record      
numerous ordinations to the offices  of 
the priesthood1 with no specific        
statement concerning the  imposition of 
hands1 nor indeed any other details of  
the ceremony4  ,such instances do not   
warrant the conclusion that the laying  
on of  hands was not actually performed2

 and indeed in the light of modern      
revelation it is clear that the         
imposition of hands was a usual         
accompaniment of ordination1 as it was  
also a part of the ceremony of          
confirming blessings1#eef and of        
bestowing the ,holy ,ghost4#eeg         
#eef ,gen4 xlviii1 #ad-ai4 ,compare ,,ii
 ,kings v1 #aa2 ,matt4 viii1 #ae2       
,mark vi1 #e2 xvi1 #ae-ah4      #eeg    
,see ,lecture viii1 pp4 #afb-agd4    #h4
 ,thus1 the priesthood descended from   
,adam to ,noah1 under the  hands of the 
fathers2#eeh ,enos was ordained by the  
hand of ,adam2 and  the same was true of
 ,mahalaleel1 ,jared1 ,enoch1 and       
,methuselah4 ,lamech  was ordained under
 the hand of ,seth2 ,noah received his  
authority from  the hand of ,methuselah4
 ,and so may the priesthood be traced1  
bestowed  as the spirit of prophecy     
directed by the hand of one upon        
another1  till the time of ,moses4      
,melchizedek1 who conferred this        
authority upon  ,abraham1 received his  

own through the direct lineage of his   
fathers1  from ,noah4 ,esaias1 a        
contemporary of ,abraham1 received his  
ordination  under the hand of ,god4     
,through the hand of ,esaias1 the       
authority  passed to ,gad1 thence by the
 same means to ,jeremy1 ,elihu1 ,caleb1 
and  ,jethro1 the priest of ,midian1    
under whose hand ,moses was             
ordained4#eei ,joshua the son of ,nun   
was set apart as directed of ,god1      
through the imposition of hands by      
,moses4#efj      #eeh ,doc4 and ,cov4   
cvii1 #dj-eb4      #eei ,doc4 and ,cov4 
lxxxiv1 #f-ad4      #efj ,numb4 xxvii1  
#ah2 ,deut4 xxxiv1 #i4    #i4 ,in the   
days of the apostles1 circumstances     
rendered it expedient  to appoint       
special officers in the ,church1 to care
 for the poor and  attend to the        
distribution of supplies2 these were    
selected with care1  and were set apart 
through prayer and laying on of         
hands4#efa ,timothy  was similarly      
ordained1 as witness the admonitions    

given him by  ,paul3--,neglect not the  
gift that is in thee1 which was given   
thee by  prophecy1 with the laying on of
 the hands of the presbytery1#efb and   
again1 ,stir up the gift of ,god which  
is in thee by the putting on of  my     
hands4#efc ,the ,lord has bound ,himself
 by solemn covenant to  acknowledge the 
acts of ,his authorized servants4 ,unto 
whomsoever the  elders give promise     
after baptism the ,holy ,ghost will     
come4#efd  ,whatever the priesthood     
shall bind or loose on earth1 is to be  
similarly bound or loosed in heaven2#efe
 the sick upon whom the  elders lay     
their hands1 are to recover2#eff and    
many other signs are  to follow them    
that believe4 ,and so jealous is the    
,lord of the power  to officiate in ,his
 name1 that at the judgment1 all who    
have aided or  persecuted ,his servants1
 are to be rewarded or punished as if   
they had  done those things unto ,christ
 ,himself4#efg      #efa ,acts vi1 #a-f4
      #efb ,i ,timothy iv1 #ad4         

#efc ,,ii ,tim4 i1 #f4      #efd ,acts  
ii1 #ch2 ,,iii ,nephi xi1 #ce2 xii1 #b2 
,doc4 and ,cov4 lxxxiv1    #fd4         
#efe ,matt4 xvi1 #ai2 ,doc4 and ,cov4 i1
 #h2 cxxviii1 #h-aa4      #eff ,mark    
xvi1 #ae-ah4      #efg ,matt4 xviii1    
#d-f2 xxv1 #ca-df2 ,doc4 and ,cov4 lxxv1
 #ai-bb2    lxxxiv1 #hh-ij4    #aj4     
,unauthorized ,ministrations in priestly
 functions are not alone  invalid1 they 
are indeed grievously sinful4 ,in ,his  
dealings with  mankind1 ,god has ever   
recognized and honored the priesthood   
established by ,his direction2 and has  
never countenanced any  unauthorized    
assumption of authority4 ,a terrible    
lesson is taught in  the case of ,korah 
and his associates1 in their rebellion  
against the  authority of the           
priesthood1--in that they falsely       
professed the right  to minister in the 
priest's office4 ,the ,lord promptly    
visited them for  their sins1 causing   
the ground to cleave asunder1 and to    
swallow them  up with all their         

belongings4#efh      #efh ,numbers xvi4 
#aa4 ,and think of the affliction that  
fell upon ,miriam1 the sister of        
,moses1 a prophetess among the          
people4#efi ,she1 with ,aaron1 railed   
against ,moses1 and they said1 ,hath the
 ,lord indeed spoken only by  ,moses8   
hath ,he not spoken also by us8 and the 
,lord heard it4#egj ,he  came at once in
 a cloud1 and stood in the door of the  
tabernacle1  denouncing their           
presumption1 and vindicating the        
authority of ,his  chosen oracle1       
,moses4 ,when the cloud passed from the 
tabernacle1  ,miriam was seen to be     
leprous1 white as snow2 and according to
 the  law1 she was shut out of the camp 
of ,israel4 ,however1 through the       
earnest entreaties of ,moses1 the ,lord 
healed the woman1 and she was           
subsequently permitted to return to the 
company4      #efi ,exo4 xv1 #ba4       
#egj ,numbers xii4    #ab4 ,consider the
 fate of ,uzza1 the ,israelite who met  
sudden death  through the anger of ,god1

 because he put forth his hand to steady
 the  ark of the covenant lest it       
fall4#ega ,this he did in spite of the  
law  that none but the priests might    
touch the sacred accompaniments of the  
ark2 we read that not even the appointed
 bearers of the vessel were  allowed to 
touch its holy parts1 on pain of        
death4#egb      #ega ,i ,chron4 xiii1   
#aj4      #egb ,num4 iv1 #ae4    #ac4   
,think also of ,saul the ,king of       
,israel1 who had been called from  the  
farm to be made a monarch favored of    
,god4 ,when the ,philistines  were      
marshalled against ,israel in ,michmash1
 ,saul waited for  ,samuel1#egc under   
whose hand he had received his kingly   
anointing1#egd and to whom he had looked
 in the days of his humility  for       
guidance2 he asked that the prophet come
 and offer sacrifices to  the ,lord in  
behalf of the people4 ,but1 growing     
impatient at ,samuel's  delay1 ,saul    
prepared the burnt offering himself1    
forgetting that  though he occupied the 

throne1 wore the crown1 and bore the    
sceptre1  these insignia of kingly power
 gave him no right to officiate even as 
a door-keeper in the house of ,god2 and 
for this and other instances of  his    
unrighteous presumption1 he was rejected
 of ,god and another was  chosen in his 
place4      #egc ,i ,sam4 xiii1 #e-ad4  
#egd ,i ,sam4 x4    #ad4 ,a striking    
instance of ,divine jealousy concerning 
holy functions  is shown in the dreadful
 experience of ,uzziah1 king of ,judah4 
,he was  placed upon the throne when but
 sixteen years old2 and1 as long as he  
sought the ,lord1 he was greatly        
prospered1 so that his name became a    
terror unto his enemies4 ,but he allowed
 pride to grow in his heart1  and       
indulged the delusion that in his       
kingship he was supreme4 ,he  entered   
the temple and essayed to burn incense  
on the altar4 ,shocked  at his          
blasphemous action1 ,azariah1 the chief 
priest of the temple1  and fourscore    
priests with him1 forbade the king1     

saying3--,it  appertaineth not unto     
thee1 ,uzziah1 to burn incense unto the 
,lord1 but  to the priests1 the sons of 
,aaron1 that are consecrated to burn    
incense2 go out of the sanctuary1 for   
thou hast trespassed4 ,at this  rebuke  
and condemnation from his subjects1     
though they were priests of  the living 
,god1 the king became angry2 but        
immediately the dread  scourge of       
leprosy fell upon him2 the signs of the 
horrible disease  appeared in his       
forehead2 and1 being now physically an  
unclean  creature1 his presence tended  
the more to defile the holy place4 ,so  
,azariah and his associate priests      
thrust the king out from the temple1    
and he1 a smitten thing1 fled from the  
house of ,god never again to  enter its 
sacred precincts4 ,concerning the rest  
of his punishment we  read1 ,and ,uzziah
 the king was a leper unto the day of   
his death1 and  dwelt in a several      
house1 being a leper2 for he was cut off
 from the  house of the ,lord4#ege      

#ege ,,ii ,chron4 xxvi4    #ae4 ,a      
forceful illustration of the futility of
 false ceremonies1 or  of the mere form 
of sacred ordinances when the authority 
is absent1 is  shown in the ,new        
,testament record of the seven sons of  
,sceva4 ,these in  common with others   
had seen1 and had marveled at1 the      
miraculous power  exhibited by ,paul1   
whom the ,lord so blessed in his        
apostleship that  through contact with  
handkerchiefs or aprons sent by him the 
sick were  healed1 and their evil       
spirits were cast out4 ,sceva's sons1   
who are  counted by the sacred          
chronicler among the exorcists and the  
vagabond  ,jews1 sought also to expel an
 evil spirit3 ,we adjure you by ,jesus  
whom ,paul preacheth1 said they2 but the
 evil spirit derided them for  their    
lack of authority1 exclaiming3 ,jesus ,i
 know1 and ,paul ,i know1  but who are  
ye8 ,then the afflicted person1 in whom 
the evil spirit  dwelt1 leaped upon them
 and overcame them1 so that when they   

escaped  from the house they were naked 
and wounded4#egf      #egf ,acts xix1   
#ac-ag4    #af4 ,teachers ,true and     
,false4--,none but those who are duly   
authorized  to teach can be regarded as 
true expounders of the word4 ,the       
remarks  of ,paul concerning the high   
priests are alike applicable to every   
office of the priesthood3 ,no man taketh
 this honor to himself1 but he  that is 
called of ,god1 as was ,aaron4#egg ,and 
,aaron1 as we have  already seen1 was   
called through ,moses unto whom the     
,lord revealed ,his  will in the matter4
 ,this authority to act in the name of  
the ,lord is  given to those only who   
are chosen of ,god2 it is not to be had 
for the  mere asking2 it is not to be   
bought with gold4 ,we read of ,simon1   
the  sorcerer1 who coveted the power    
possessed by the apostles2 he offered   
these ministers of ,christ money1       
saying1 ,give me also this power that   
on whomsoever ,i lay my hands he may    
receive the ,holy ,ghost4 ,but ,peter   

answered him with righteous indignation1
 ,thy money perish with thee1  because  
thou hast thought that the gift of ,god 
may be purchased with  money2 thou hast 
neither part nor lot in this matter1 for
 thy heart is  not right in the sight of
 ,god4#egh      #egg ,heb4 v1 #d4       
#egh ,acts viii1 #ah-bd4    #ag4 ,it was
 known to the apostles of old that men  
would seek to  arrogate unto themselves 
the right to officiate in things divine1
 thus  becoming servants of ,satan4 ,in 
addressing a conference of the elders   
at ,ephesus1 ,paul prophesied of these  
ill events1 and warned the  shepherds of
 the flock to look well to their        
charge4#egi ,in an  epistle to ,timothy1
 the apostle reiterates this prophecy2  
encouraging  to diligence in preaching  
the word1 he declares1 ,for the time    
will  come when they will not endure    
sound doctrine1 but after their own     
lusts shall they heap to themselves     
teachers having itching ears1 and  they 
shall turn away their ears from the     

truth1 and shall be turned  unto        
fables4#ehj ,peter's declarations on the
 same subject are no  less plain4       
,addressing himself to the ,saints of   
his time1 he refers to  the false       
prophets of old1 and adds3--,there shall
 be false teachers  among you1 who      
privily shall bring in damnable         
heresies2 even denying  the ,lord that  
bought them4444 ,and many shall follow  
their pernicious  ways1 by reason of    
whom the way of truth shall be evil     
spoken  of4#eha      #egi ,acts xx1     
#bh-cj4      #ehj ,,ii ,tim4 iv1 #b-d4  
#eha ,,ii ,pet4 ii1 #a-c4    #ah4       
,divine ,authority in the ,present      
,dispensation4--,the ,latter-day        
,saints claim to possess authority to   
administer in the name of ,god1  and    
that this right has been conferred in   
this day under the hands of  those who  
held the same power in former           
dispensations4 ,that the  authority of  
the holy priesthood was to be taken from
 the earth as the  apostles of old were 

slain1 and that it would of necessity   
have to be  restored from heaven before 
the ,church could be re-established1 may
 be  shown by scripture4 ,on the #aeth  
day of ,may1 #ahbi1 while ,joseph ,smith
  and ,oliver ,cowdery were engaged in  
earnest prayer for instruction          
concerning baptism for the remission of 
sins1 mention of which they  had found  
in the plates from which they were then 
engaged in  translating the ,book of    
,mormon1 a messenger from heaven        
descended in a  cloud of light4 ,he     
announced himself as ,john1 called of   
old the  ,baptist1 and said he acted    
under the direction of ,peter1 ,james1  
and  ,john1 who held the keys of the    
higher priesthood4 ,the messenger laid  
his hands upon the two young men and    
ordained them to authority1  saying1    
,upon you my fellow servants1 in the    
name of ,messiah1 ,i  confer the        
priesthood of ,aaron1 which holds the   
keys of the  ministering of angels1 and 
of the gospel of repentance1 and of     

baptism  by immersion for the remission 
of sins2 and this shall never be taken  
again from the earth1 until the sons of 
,levi do offer again an  offering unto  
the ,lord in righteousness4#ehb         
#ehb ,pearl of ,great ,price3 ,extr4    
,hist4 of ,joseph ,smith1 #fi4 ,doc4    
and ,cov4 xiii4    #ai4 ,a short time   
after this event1 ,peter1 ,james1 and   
,john appeared  to ,joseph and ,oliver1 
and ordained the two to the higher or   
,melchizedek priesthood1 bestowing upon 
them the keys of the  apostleship1 which
 these heavenly messengers had held and 
exercised in  the former gospel         
dispensation4 ,this order of priesthood 
holds  authority over all the offices in
 the ,church1 and includes power to     
administer in spiritual things2#ehc     
consequently all the authorities  and   
powers necessary to the establishment of
 the ,church were by this  visitation   
restored to earth4      #ehc ,doc4 and  
,cov4 cvii4    #bj4 ,no one is          
authorized to officiate in any of the   

ordinances of  the ,church of ,jesus    
,christ of ,latter-day ,saints unless he
 has been  ordained to that calling by  
those holding the power2 thus1 no man   
receives the priesthood except under the
 hand of one who holds that  priesthood 
himself2 that one must have obtained it 
from others  previously commissioned2   
and so every holder of the priesthood   
to-day  can trace his authority to the  
hands of ,joseph the ,prophet1 who1 as  
already stated1 received his ordination 
under the hands of heavenly  messengers 
clothed with power divine4 ,that men who
 are called of ,god  to the authority of
 the ministry on earth may have been    
selected for  such appointment even     
before they took mortal bodies is       
evident from  the scriptures4 ,this     
matter may properly claim attention in  
the  present connection2 and its        
consideration leads us to the subjects  
which follow4      ,,fore-,,ordination  
,,and ,,pre-,,existence4    #ba4        
,fore-ordination4--,in a wonderful      

interview with ,abraham1 the  ,lord     
revealed many things ordinarily withheld
 from mortal eyes4 ,said  the           
patriarch3--,now the ,lord had shewn    
unto me1 ,abraham1 the  intelligences   
that were organized before the world    
was2 and among all  these there were    
many of the noble and great ones2 and   
,god saw these  souls that they were    
good1 and he stood in the midst of them1
 and he  said1 ,these ,i will make my   
rulers2 for he stood among those that   
were  spirits1 and he saw that they were
 good2 and he said unto me1 ,abraham1   
thou art one of them1 thou wast chosen  
before thou wast born4#ehd  ,this is one
 of the many scriptural proofs that the 
spirits of mankind  existed prior to    
their earthly probation3--a condition in
 which these  intelligences lived and   
exercised their free agency before they 
assumed bodily tabernacles4 ,surely then
 the natures1 dispositions1 and         
tendencies of men are known to the      
,father of their spirits1 even  before  

these beings are born in mortality2 and 
,he needs not to wait  till they develop
 and prove their capacities on earth    
before they are  appointed to special   
labors in the fulfillment of ,divine    
purposes4      #ehd ,pearl of ,great    
,price3 ,abraham iii1 #bb-bc2 see also  
,jer4 i1    #d-e4    #bb4 ,evidence is  
abundant that ,christ was chosen and    
ordained to be  the ,redeemer of the    
world1 even from the beginning4 ,we read
 of ,his  foremost position amongst the 
sons of ,god in offering ,himself as a  
sacrifice to carry into effect the will 
of the ,father4#ehe ,he it was1  ,who   
verily was fore-ordained before the     
foundation of the  world4#ehf      #ehe 
,see page #hc4      #ehf ,i ,peter i1   
#bj4 ,see ,jesus the ,christ1 ch4 ii4   
#bc4 ,paul taught the doctrine of       
,divine selection and pre-appointment   
thus3--,for whom he did fore-know1 he   
also did predestinate to be  conformed  
to the image of his ,son4444 ,moreover1 
whom he did  predestinate1 them he also 

called4#ehg ,and again3--,god hath not  
cast away his people which he           
foreknew4#ehh      #ehg ,rom4 viii1     
#bi-cj4      #ehh ,rom4 xi1 #b4    #bd4 
,alma1 the ,nephite prophet1 spoke of   
the priests who had been  ordained after
 the order of the ,son1 and added3--,and
 this is the  manner after which they   
were ordained3 being called and prepared
 from  the foundation of the world1     
according to the fore-knowledge of ,god1
  on account of their exceeding faith   
and good works2 in the first place      
being left to choose good or evil2      
therefore they having chosen good1  and 
exercising exceeding great faith1 are   
called with a holy calling1  yea1 with  
that holy calling which was prepared    
with1 and according to1  a preparatory  
redemption for such4#ehi      #ehi ,alma
 xiii1 #c2 also #aj1 #aa4    #be4       
,fore-ordination does not ,imply        
,compulsion4--,the doctrine of  absolute
 predestination1 resulting in a         
nullification of man's free  agency1 has

 been advocated with various            
modifications by different  sects4      
,nevertheless1 such teachings are wholly
 unjustified by both the  letter and the
 spirit of sacred writ4 ,god's          
fore-knowledge concerning  the natures  
and capacities of ,his children enables 
,him to see the end  of their earthly   
career even from the first3--,known unto
 ,god are all  his works from the       
beginning of the world4#eij ,many people
 have been  led to regard this          
fore-knowledge of ,god as a sure        
predestination  whereby souls are       
assigned to glory or condemnation1 even 
before their  birth in the flesh1 and   
independently of any merits or demerits 
of  their own4 ,this heretical doctrine 
seeks to rob ,deity of every trait  of  
mercy1 of justice1 and of pure love2 it 
makes the ,father appear  capricious and
 selfish1 directing and creating all    
things for ,his own  glory alone1 caring
 not for the consequent suffering of the
 victims of  ,his injustice4 ,how       

dreadful1 how inconsistent is such an   
idea of ,god6  ,it leads to the absurd  
conclusion that the mere knowledge of   
coming  events must act as a determining
 influence in bringing about those      
occurrences4 ,god's knowledge of        
spiritual and of human nature enables   
,him to conclude with certainty as to   
the actions of any of ,his  children    
under given conditions2 yet such        
knowledge has surely no  determining    
effect upon the creature4#eia      #eij 
,acts xv1 #ah4      #eia ,see ,jesus the
 ,christ1 pp4 #ah1 #bh4    #bf4         
,doubtless ,he knows of some spirits    
that they await only the  opportunity of
 choice between good and evil to choose 
the latter and  to accomplish their own 
destruction2 these are they as spoken of
 by  ,jude1 who were before of old      
ordained to this condemnation4#eib ,to  
avert the fate of such1 their free      
agency would have to be taken away2     
they can be saved by force alone2 and   
compulsion is forbidden by the  laws of 

heaven1 for salvation and for           
condemnation alike4 ,there are  others  
whose integrity and faithfulness have   
been demonstrated in  their pristine    
state2 the ,father knows how            
unreservedly they may be  trusted1 and  
many of them are called even in their   
mortal youth to  special and exalted    
labors as chosen servants of the ,most  
,high4      #eib ,jude #d4    #bg4      
,pre-existence of ,spirits4--,the facts 
already presented  concerning           
fore-ordination furnish proof that the  
spirits of mankind  passed through a    
stage of existence prior to the earthly 
probation4  ,this antemortal period is  
oft-times spoken of as the stage of     
primeval childhood or first estate4     
,that these spirits existed as          
organized intelligences1 and exercised  
their free agency during that  primeval 
stage1 is clear from the declaration of 
the ,lord to  ,abraham3--,and they who  
keep their first estate shall be added  
upon1  and they who keep not their first

 estate shall not have glory in the     
same kingdom with those who keep their  
first estate2 and they who keep  their  
second estate shall have glory added    
upon their heads forever  and ever4#eic 
#bh4 ,no ,christian doubts the          
pre-existence of the ,savior1 or        
questions ,his position as one of the   
,godhead before ,he came to earth  as   
,mary's ,son4 ,the common interpretation
 given to the opening words of  ,john's 
,gospel sustains the view of ,christ's  
primeval ,god-ship3--,in  the beginning 
was the ,word1 and the ,word was with   
,god1 and the ,word  was ,god4 ,we read 
further1 ,and the ,word was made flesh  
and dwelt  among us4#eid ,the sayings of
 the ,redeemer ,himself support this    
truth4 ,when ,his disciples dissented   
concerning ,his doctrine of  ,himself1  
,he said1 ,what and if ye shall see the 
,son of man ascend up  where he was     
before8#eie ,on another occasion ,he    
spoke in this  wise3--,i came forth from
 the ,father1 and am come into the      

world2  again1 ,i leave the world and go
 to the ,father4#eif ,and ,his          
disciples1 pleased with this plain      
declaration confirming the belief       
which1 perchance1 they already          
entertained at heart1 rejoined1 ,lo1    
now speakest thou plainly1 and speakest 
no proverb 444 by this we  believe that 
thou camest forth from ,god4#eig ,to the
 wicked ,jews who  boasted of their     
descent from ,abraham1 and sought to    
hide their sins  under the protecting   
mantle of the great patriarch's name1   
the ,savior  declared3--,verily1 verily1
 ,i say unto you1 ,before ,abraham was1 
,i  am4#eih ,in a solemn prayer to ,his 
,father1 the ,son implored1 ,and  now1  
,o ,father1 glorify thou me with thine  
own self1 with the glory  which ,i had  
with thee before the world was4#eii ,yet
 ,christ was born  a child among        
mortals2 and it is fair to infer1 that  
if ,his earthly  birth was the union of 
a pre-existent or antemortal spirit with
 a  mortal body1 such also is the birth 

of every member of the human  family4   
#eic ,pearl of ,great ,price3 ,abraham  
iii1 #bf4      #eid ,john i1 #a1 #ad4   
#eie ,john vi1 #fb4      #eif ,john xvi1
 #bh4      #eig ,verses #bi-cj4         
#eih ,john viii1 #eh4 ,see ,jesus the   
,christ4 pp4 #cg1 #daa4      #eii ,john 
xvii1 #e4 ,see also ,,ii ,nephi ix1 #e2 
xxv1 #ab2 ,mos4 iii1 #e2    xiii1       
#cc-cd2 xv1 #a4    #bi4 ,but we are not 
left to mere inference on a basis of    
analogy  only2 the scriptures plainly   
teach that the spirits of mankind are   
known and numbered unto ,god before     
their earthly advent4 ,in his  farewell 
administration to ,israel ,moses sang1  
,remember the days of  old4444 ,when the
 ,most ,high divided to the nations     
their inheritance1  when he separated   
the sons of ,adam1 he set the bounds of 
the people  according to the number of  
the children of ,israel4#fjj ,from this 
we  learn that the earth was allotted to
 the nations1 according to the  number  
of the children of ,israel2 it is       

evident therefore that the  number was  
known prior to the existence of the     
,israelitish nation in  the flesh2 this 
is most easily explained on the         
assumption of a  previous existence in  
which the spirits of the future nation  
were  known4      #fjj ,deut4 xxxii1    
#g-h4    #cj4 ,no chance is possible    
therefore in the number or extent of the
  temporal creations of ,god4#fja ,the  
population of the earth is fixed        
according to the number of spirits      
appointed to take tabernacles of  flesh 
upon this sphere2 when these have all   
come forth in the order  and time       
decreed of ,god1 then1 and not till     
then1 shall the end come4      #fja ,see
 ,note1 this page4      ,,notes4        
#a4 ,spiritual ,creations4--,the        
pre-existent condition is not           
characteristic of human souls alone2 all
 things of earth have a       spiritual 
being1 of which the temporal structure  
forms but the       counterpart4 ,we    
read of the creation of every plant of  

the field       before it was in the    
earth1 and every herb of the field      
before it       grew 7,gen4 ii1 #e74    
,this is set forth with greater fulness 
in       another revelation to          
,moses3--,these are the generations of  
the       heaven and the earth when they
 were created1 in the day that ,i1      
the ,lord ,god1 made the heaven and the 
earth1 and every plant of       the     
earth before it was in the earth1 and   
every herb of the field       before it 
grew4 ,for ,i1 the ,lord ,god1 created  
all things of which       ,i have       
spoken1 spiritually1 before they were   
naturally upon the       face of the    
earth4444 ,and ,i1 the ,lord ,god1 had  
created all the       children of men1  
and not yet a man to till the ground2   
for in       heaven created ,i them2 and
 there was not yet flesh upon the       
earth1 neither in the water1 neither in 
the air3 but ,i1 the ,lord       ,god1  
spake1 and there went up a mist from the
 earth1 and watered       the whole face

 of the ground4 ,and ,i1 the ,lord ,god1
 formed man       from the dust of the  
ground1 and breathed into his nostrils  
the       breath of life2 and man became
 a living soul1 the first flesh         
upon the earth1 the first man also2     
nevertheless1 all things were           
before created1 but spiritually were    
they created and made       according to
 my word4--7,pearl of ,great ,price3    
,moses iii1 #d-g47         #b4          
,authority ,given of ,god4--,the most   
comprehensive evidence       that       
,joseph ,smith received the authority   
and power of the ,holy                  
,priesthood1 is that the works of ,john 
the ,baptist1 of ,jesus and       ,his  
apostles1 are being again done on the   
earth by his       administration4 ,to  
receive the powers of this ,priesthood1 
it is       necessary that men should   
obey the laws and ordinances of the     
,gospel4 ,the ,lord has personally      
appeared to some men1 and               
covenanted with them as ,he did with    

,abraham 7see ,gen4 xii1 #a-c2          
xiii1 #ad-ag74 ,the ,lord also          
personally called and authorized ,his   
twelve ,jewish apostles4 ,so fully were 
they authorized to labor       for ,him1
 and act in ,his name1 that ,he said to 
them3 ',he that       receiveth you     
receiveth me2 and he that receiveth me  
receiveth       him that sent me'       
7,matt4 x1 #dj74 ,more generally1 it is 
from the       prophets and apostles of 
,christ that men receive the            
,priesthood4       ,many received it    
under the hands of the apostles of the  
first       ,gospel dispensation4 ,those
 who have received it in this           
latter-day dispensation1 have received  
it from ,joseph ,smith and       ,oliver
 ,cowdery2 and1 in doing so1 have       
received it through a       legitimate  
channel from ,god the ,father and ,his  
,son ,jesus ,christ4       ,those who   
have received this ,priesthood have     
covenanted with ,god       the ,father1 
and ,he with them4 ,this is evidently   

the view taken of       the subject in  
the above passage quoted from ,matthew4 
,the       doctrine is more fully       
illustrated in ,doc4 and ,cov43 ',all   
they       who receive this ,priesthood 
receiveth me1 saith the ,lord2 for he   
that receiveth my servants receiveth me2
 and he that receiveth me               
receiveth my ,father2 and he that       
receiveth my ,father1 receiveth       my
 ,father's kingdom2 therefore all that  
my ,father hath shall be       given    
unto him1 and this is according to the  
oath and covenant       which belongeth 
to the ,priesthood' 7,doc4 and ,cov4    
lxxxiv1       #ce-ci74--;,compendium1   
,f4 ,d4 ,richards and ,j4 ,a4 ,little1  
p4 #fg4         #c4                     
,fore-ordination4--',known unto ,god are
 all his works from       the beginning 
of the world' 7,acts xv1 #ah74 ,the     
knowledge that we       have of the     
beginning of the world is principally   
derived from       the history of its   
creation in the ,bible ,genesis1 and in 

the       writings of ,moses and of     
,abraham1 as given in the ,pearl of     
,great       ,price4444 ,these writings 
make it plain that man existed in a     
spiritual condition prior to coming     
here1 and also quite as       evident   
that in that pre-existence he exercised 
his free       agency4444 ,god may have 
called and chosen men in their first    
estate1 or spiritual existence1 but     
whether they will accept that       call
 and fill it1 by repentance and good    
works in this life1 is a       matter in
 which it is their privilege to exercise
 their free       agency4444 ,men       
exercised their free agency in the first
 or       spiritual estate1 as well as  
in this4 ,that the character of their   
works in that estate shaped their       
destiny in this is                      
evident4--,compendium1 ,f4 ,d4 ,richards
 and ,j4 ,a4 ,little1 pp4               
#ach-adj4         ,see also3 ,acts ii1  
#bc2 ,romans viii1 #bi-cj2 xi1 #b1 #bh2 
,isaiah       xlviii1 #ab2 ,i ,chron4   

xxix1 #a2 ,book of ,mormon3 ,alma xiii1 
#c-g2       ,doc4 and ,cov4 lxxxiv1 #cd1
 #ii4          ,,lecture ,,xi4    ,,the 
,,church ,,and ,,its ,,plan ,,of        
,,organization4         ,article        
#f4--,we believe in the same            
organization that existed in       the  
primitive ,church1 viz3 apostles1       
prophets1 pastors1 teachers1            
evangelists1 etc4      ,,the ,,church   
,,in ,,former ,,and ,,latter ,,days4    
#a4 ,the ,primitive ,church4--,in the   
dispensation of the ,savior's  ministry1
 ,christ established ,his ,church upon  
the earth1 appointing  therein the      
officers necessary for the carrying out 
of the ,father's  purposes4 ,as shown in
 the last lecture1 every person so      
appointed was  divinely commissioned    
with authority to officiate in the      
ordinances of  his calling2 and1 after  
,christ's ascension1 the same           
organization was  continued1 those who  
had received authority ordaining others 
to the  various offices of the          

priesthood4 ,in this way were given unto
 the  ,church1 apostles1 prophets1      
evangelists1 pastors1#fjb high          
priests1#fjc seventies1#fjd elders1#fje 
bishops1#fjf priests1#fjg  teachers1#fjh
 and deacons4#fji      #fjb ,eph4 iv1   
#aa4      #fjc ,heb4 v1 #a-e4      #fjd 
,luke x1 #a-aa4      #fje ,acts xiv1    
#bc2 xv1 #f2 ,i ,peter v1 #a4      #fjf 
,i ,tim4 iii1 #a2 ,titus #a1 #g4        
#fjg ,rev4 i1 #f4      #fjh ,acts xiii1 
#a4      #fji ,i ,tim4 iii1 #h-ab4      
#b4 ,besides these specific offices in  
the priesthood1 there were  other       
callings of a more temporal nature1 to  
which men were also set  apart by       
authority3 such for instance was the    
case of the seven men of  honest report 
who1 in the days of the apostles1 were  
chosen and  appointed to minister to the
 poor1 thus leaving the ,twelve freer to
  attend to the particular duties of    
their office4#faj ,this special         
appointment illustrates the nature of   
the helps and governments#faa  set in   

the ,church1 to assist in the work under
 the direction of the  regular officers 
of the priesthood4      #faj ,acts vi1  
#a-f4      #faa ,i ,cor4 xii1 #bh4      
#c4 ,the ministers so appointed1 and the
 members among whom they  labor1        
constitute the ,church of ,christ1 which
 has been impressively  compared to a   
perfect body1 the individuals typifying 
the separate  members1 each with its    
special function1 all co-operating for  
the  welfare of the whole4#fab ,every   
office so established1 every officer  so
 commissioned1 is necessary to the      
development of the ,church and to  the  
accomplishment of the work of ,god4 ,an 
organization established of  ,god       
comprises no superfluities2 the eye1 the
 ear1 the hand1 the foot1  every organ  
of the body1 is essential to the        
symmetry and perfection  of the physical
 structure2 in the ,church no officer   
can rightly say to  another1 ,i have no 
need of thee4#fac      #fab ,i ,cor4    
xii1 #ab-bg2 ,rom4 xii1 #d-e2 ,eph4 iv1 

#af4      #fac ,i ,cor4 xii1 #ba4    #d4
 ,the existence of these officers1 and  
particularly their operation  with      
accompaniments of ,divine assistance and
 power1 may be taken as a               
distinguishing characteristic of the    
,church in any age of the  world1--a    
crucial test1 whereby the validity or   
falsity of any claim  to ,divine        
authority may be determined4 ,the gospel
 of ,christ is the  everlasting gospel2 
its principles1 laws1 and ordinances1   
and the  ,church organization founded   
thereon1 must be ever the same4 ,in     
searching for the true ,church1         
therefore1 one must look for an         
organization comprising the offices     
established of old1 the callings  of    
apostles1 prophets1 evangelists1 high   
priests1 seventies1 pastors1  bishops1  
elders1 priests1 teachers1 deacons2 not 
men bearing these  names merely1 but    
ministers able to vindicate their claim 
to position  as officers in the ,lord's 
service1 through the evidences of power 

and  authority accompanying their       
ministry4    #e4 ,apostasy from the     
,primitive ,church4--,the question may  
fairly  arise in the mind of the earnest
 investigator1 have these authorities   
and powers1 together with their         
associated gifts of the ,spirit1        
remained with men from the apostolic age
 to the present2 in short1 has  there   
been a ,church of ,christ upon the earth
 during this long  interval8 ,in answer1
 let these facts be considered3 ,since  
the period  immediately following the   
ministrations of the apostles of old1   
and  until the present century1 no      
organization has maintained a claim to  
direct revelation from ,god2 in fact1   
the teachings of the professed          
ministers of the gospel for centuries   
have been to the effect that  such gifts
 of ,god have ceased1 that the days of  
miracles have gone1  and that the       
present depends for its guiding code    
wholly upon the  past4 ,a               
self-suggesting interpretation of       

history indicates that there  has been a
 great departure from the way of        
salvation as laid down by  the ,savior1 
a universal apostasy from the ,church of
 ,christ4#fad  ,scarcely had the ,church
 been organized by the ,savior1 whose   
name it  bears1 before the powers of    
darkness arrayed themselves for conflict
  with the organized body4 ,even in the 
days of ,christ1 persecution was        
bitterly waged against the disciples2   
commencing with the ,jews1 and  directed
 first against the ,master ,himself and 
,his few immediate  associates1 this    
tide of opposition soon enveloped every 
known  follower of the ,savior2 so that 
the very name ,christian became an      
epithet of derision4      #fad ,see     
,notes #a and #b4 ,see ,the ,great      
,apostasy1 ,considered in    the ,light 
of ,scriptural and ,secular ,history1 by
 ,james ,e4 ,talmage1    ,salt ,lake    
,city1 #aiji4    #f4 ,in the first      
quarter of the fourth century1 however1 
a change in  the attitude of paganism   

toward ,christianity was marked by the  
conversion of ,constantine the ,great1  
under whose patronage the  ,christian   
profession grew in favor1 and became in 
fact the religion of  the state4 ,but   
what a profession1 what a religion was  
it by this  time6 ,its simplicity had   
departed2 earnest devotion and          
self-sacrificing sincerity were no      
longer characteristic of the  ,church's 
ministers2 these professed followers of 
the humble ,prophet of  ,nazareth1 these
 self-styled associates of the meek and 
lowly ,jesus1  these loudly-proclaimed  
lovers of the ,man of ,sorrow1 lived    
amid  conditions strangely inconsistent 
with the life of their great  ,exemplar4
 ,church offices were sought after for  
the distinction of  honor and wealth    
accompanying them2 ministers of the     
gospel affected  the state of worldly   
authority2 bishops sought the pomp of   
princes1  archbishops lived as kings1   
and popes like emperors4 ,with these    
unauthorized and unscriptural           

innovations came many changes in the    
ordinances of the so-called church3 the 
rites of baptism were  perverted2 the   
sacrament was altered2 public worship   
became an  exhibition of art2 men were  
canonized2 martyrs were made subjects of
  adoration2 blasphemy grew apace1 in   
that men without authority essayed  to  
exercise the prerogatives of ,god in    
calling others to what still  bore the  
name of spiritual office4 ,ages of      
darkness came upon the  earth2 the power
 of ,satan seemed almost supreme4    #g4
 ,for a special consideration of the    
evidence of a general apostasy  from the
 ,church of ,christ1 the student must   
consult authorities on  ecclesiastical  
history4 ,while the fact of the apostasy
 is admitted by  but few such writers1  
the historical events which they        
chronicle  suggest the awful truth4 ,we 
may trace1 from the days of the apostles
  down to near the close of the tenth   
century1 a constantly changing  form of 
,church organization1 which1 at the     

later time named1 bore but  little      
semblance to the ,church established by 
the ,savior4 ,this falling  away is     
admitted by some historians1 and as we  
shall presently see1 it  was definitely 
foretold by authoritative prophecy4     
#h4 ,john ,wesley1 founder of a powerful
 sect1 declared that the  distinctive   
gifts of the ,holy ,ghost were no longer
 with the church1  having been taken    
away on account of the unworthiness of  
professing  ,christians1 whom he        
characterized indeed as heathen1 with   
only a dead  form of worship4#fae ,in   
the ,church of ,england ,homily ,against
 ,peril  of ,idolatry we read ,so that  
laity and clergy1 learned and unlearned1
  all ages1 sects1 and degrees of men1  
women1 and children of whole            
,christendom--an horrible and most      
dreadful thing to think--have been  at  
once drowned in abominable idolatry2 of 
all other vices most  detested of ,god1 
and most damnable to man2 and that by   
the space of  eight hundred years and   

more4 ,milner1 an author on church      
history1  admits a pitiable condition of
 the ,church in the tenth century1 and  
finds in that sad state a fulfillment of
 scriptural predictions4      #fae ,john
 ,wesley's ,works1 vii1 pp4 #bf-bg4 ,see
 ,note #d1 following    ,lecture xii1 in
 connection with ,article #g1 ,spiritual
 ,gifts1 page    #bch4    #i4 ,this     
,great ,apostasy was ,foretold4--,the   
infinite fore-knowledge of  ,god made   
plain to ,him even from the beginning   
this falling away from  the truth2 and1 
through inspiration1 the prophets of old
 uttered  solemn warnings of the        
approaching dangers4 ,surely ,isaiah was
 gazing  upon the era of spiritual      
darkness when he declared1 ,the earth   
also  is defiled under the inhabitants  
thereof2 because they have  transgressed
 the laws1 changed the ordinance1 broken
 the everlasting  covenant4#faf ,and how
 deeply impressive is the declaration of
  ,jeremiah1 ,for my people have        
committed two evils3 they have forsaken 

me1 the fountain of living waters1 and  
hewed them out cisterns1 broken         
cisterns that can hold no water4#fag    
#faf ,isa4 xxiv1 #e4      #fag ,jer4 ii1
 #ac4    #aj4 ,the prophecies of the    
apostles relative to the false teachers 
so  soon to trouble the flock1 already  
quoted1#fah declare the apostasy  then  
rapidly approaching4 ,paul warned the   
,saints of ,thessalonica that  they be  
not deceived by those who cried that the
 second coming of  ,christ was then at  
hand1 ,for1 said the apostle1 that day  
shall not  come except there come a     
falling away first1 and that man of sin 
be  revealed1 the son of perdition2 ,who
 opposeth and exalteth himself  above   
all that is called ,god1 or that is     
worshiped2 so that he as ,god  sitteth  
in the temple of ,god1 showing himself  
that he is ,god4#fai  ,this falling away
 had begun even in the days of the      
apostles3--,even  now1 says ,john1 are  
there many anti-,christs4#fbj ,and      
,paul1 in  addressing the ,galatians1   

declared1 ,there be some that trouble   
you1  and would pervert the gospel of   
,christ4#fba      #fah ,see pages       
#aib-aic4      #fai ,,ii ,thess4 ii1    
#c-d4      #fbj ,i ,john ii1 #ah4 ,see  
further ,,ii ,peter ii1 #a-c2 ,jude #ag1
 #ah4      #fba ,gal4 i1 #g2 also ,acts 
xx1 #bi1 #cj2 ,i ,tim4 iv1 #a-c2 ,,ii   
,tim4 iv1    #a-d4    #aa4 ,not less    
conclusive are the prophecies contained 
in the ,book of  ,mormon relating to    
this great falling away4 ,nephi1 son of 
,lehi1  predicted the oppression of the 
,north ,american ,indians at the hands  
of  the ,gentiles1 and declared that at 
that time the people will be lifted  up 
in self-pride1 having departed from the 
ordinances of ,god's house2  true1 they 
will build to themselves many churches1 
but in these they  will preach their own
 wisdom1 with envyings1 and strife1 and 
malice1  denying however the power and  
miracles of ,god4#fbb      #fbb ,,ii    
,nephi xxvi1 #ai-bb2 see also xxvii1 #a2
 xxviii1 #c1 #f2 xxix1    #c2 ,i ,nephi 

xiii1 #e2 xxii #bb-bc4    #ab4          
,restoration of the ,church4--,from the 
facts already stated1 it is  evident    
that the ,church was literally driven   
from the earth2 in the  first ten       
centuries immediately following the     
ministry of ,christ1 the  authority of  
the priesthood was lost from among men1 
and no human  power could restore it4   
,but the ,lord in ,his mercy provided   
for the  re-establishment of ,his       
,church in the last days1 and for the   
last  time2 and prophets of olden time  
fore-saw this era of renewed            
enlightenment1 and sang in joyous tones 
of its coming4#fbc ,it has  been already
 shown that this restoration was        
effected by the ,lord  through the      
,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 who1 together  
with ,oliver ,cowdery1  in #ahbi        
received the ,aaronic ,priesthood under 
the hands of ,john the  ,baptist2 and   
later the ,melchizedek ,priesthood under
 the hands of the  former-day apostles1 
,peter1 ,james1 and ,john4 ,by the      

authority thus  bestowed1 the ,church   
has been again organized with all its   
former  completeness1 and mankind once  
more rejoices in the priceless          
privileges of the counsels of ,god4 ,the
 ,latter-day ,saints declare their  high
 claim to the true ,church organization1
 similar in all essentials  to the      
organization effected by ,christ among  
the ,jews2 this people of  the last days
 profess to have the ,priesthood of the 
,almighty1 the  power to act in the name
 of ,god1 which power commands respect  
both on  earth and in heaven4 ,let us   
consider the organization of the        
priesthood as it exists to-day4         
#fbc ,dan4 ii1 #dd-de2 vii1 #bg2 ,matt4 
xxiv1 #ad2 ,rev4 xiv1 #f-h4      ,,plan 
,,of ,,government ,,in ,,the ,,restored 
,,church4    #ac4 ,orders and ,offices  
in the ,priesthood4--,the ,church of    
,jesus  ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints  
recognizes two orders of priesthood1 the
  lesser called the ,aaronic1 the       
greater known as the ,melchizedek order4

  ,the ,aaronic ,priesthood is named    
after ,aaron1 who was given to ,moses   
as his mouth-piece1 to act under his    
direction in the carrying out of  ,god's
 purposes respecting ,israel4#fbd ,for  
this reason1 it is  sometimes called the
 ,lesser ,priesthood2 but though lesser1
 it is  neither small nor insignificant4
 ,while ,israel journeyed in the        
wilderness1 ,aaron and his sons were    
called by prophecy and set apart  for   
the duties of the priest's office4#fbe  
#fbd ,exo4 iv1 #ad-af4      #fbe ,exo4  
xxviii1 #a4    #ad4 ,at a subsequent    
period of ,israel's history1 the ,lord  
chose the  tribe of ,levi to assist     
,aaron in the priestly functions1 the   
special  duties of the ,levites being to
 keep the instruments and attend to the 
service of the tabernacle4 ,the ,levites
 thus chosen of the ,lord were to  take 
the place of the first-born throughout  
the tribes1 whom the ,lord  had claimed 
for ,his service from the time of the   
last dread plague in  ,egypt1 whereby   

the first-born in every ,egyptian house 
was slain1 while  the eldest in every   
,israelitish house was hallowed and     
spared4#fbf  ,the commission thus given 
to the ,levites is sometimes called the 
,levitical ,priesthood2#fbg it is to be 
regarded as an appendage to  the        
priesthood of ,aaron1 not comprising the
 highest priestly powers4  ,the ,aaronic
 ,priesthood1 as restored to the earth  
in this dispensation1  comprises the    
,levitical order4#fbh ,this priesthood  
holds the keys of  the ministering of   
angels1 and the authority to attend to  
the outward  ordinances1 the letter of  
the gospel2#fbi it comprises the offices
 of  deacon1 teacher1 and priest1 with  
the bishopric holding the keys of       
presidency4      #fbf ,numb4 iii1       
#ab-ac1 #ci1 #dd-de1 #ej-ea4      #fbg  
,heb4 vii1 #aa4      #fbh ,doc4 and     
,cov4 cvii1 #a4      #fbi ,doc4 and     
,cov4 cvii1 #bj4    #ae4 ,the greater or
 ,melchizedek ,priesthood is named after
 the king  of ,salem1 a great ,high     

,priest of ,god2#fcj before his day it  
was known  as the ,holy ,priesthood1    
after the order of the ,son of ,god1 but
 out of  respect or reverence to the    
name of the ,supreme ,being1 to avoid   
the  too frequent repetition of ,his    
name1 they1 the ,church1 in ancient     
days1 called that ,priesthood after     
,melchizedek4#fca ,this priesthood      
holds the right of presidency in all the
 offices of the ,church2 its  special   
functions lie in the administration of  
spiritual things3  comprising as it does
 the keys of all spiritual blessings of 
the  ,church1 the right to have the     
heavens opened unto them1 to commune    
with the general assembly and ,church of
 the ,first ,born1 and to enjoy  the    
communion and presence of ,god the      
,father1 and ,jesus the ,mediator  of   
the new covenant4#fcb ,the special      
offices of the ,melchizedek  ,priesthood
 are those of apostle1 patriarch or     
evangelist1 high priest1  seventy1 and  
elder4 ,revelation from ,god has defined

 the duties  associated with each of    
these callings2 and the same high       
authority  has directed the             
establishment of presiding officers     
growing out of1  or appointed from among
 those who are ordained to the several  
offices  in these two priesthoods4#fcc  
#fcj ,gen4 xiv1 #ah2 ,heb4 vii1 #a-ag4  
#fca ,doc4 and ,cov4 cvii1 #b-d4        
#fcb ,doc4 and ,cov4 cvii1 #h1 #ah-ai4  
#fcc ,doc4 and ,cov4 cvii1 #ba4    #af4 
,specific ,duties in the                
,priesthood4--,the ,office of ,deacon is
 the  first or lowest in the ,aaronic   
,priesthood4 ,the duties of this calling
  are generally of a temporal nature1   
pertaining to the care of the  houses of
 worship and the comfort of the         
worshipers4 ,in all things1  however1   
the ,deacon may be called to assist the 
,teacher in his  labors4#fcd ,twelve    
deacons form a quorum2#fce such a body  
is to be  presided over by a president  
and counselors1 selected from among     
their  number4      #fcd ,doc4 and ,cov4

 xx1 #eg2 cvii1 #he4      #fce          
,quorum4--,this term has acquired a     
special meaning among    the ,latter-day
 ,saints4 ,it signifies1 not alone a    
majority or such    a number of persons 
of any organized body as is requisite   
for    authoritative action1 but the    
organized body itself4 ,the ,church     
regards a quorum as a council or an     
organized body of the    priesthood1 e4 
g4 an elders' quorum2 the quorum of the 
,twelve    ,apostles1 etc4 7,see        
,standard ,dictionary47    #ag4         
,teachers are local officers1 whose     
function it is to mingle with  the      
,saints1 exhorting them to their duties1
 and strengthening the  ,church by their
 constant ministry2 they are to see that
 there is no  iniquity in the ,church2  
that the members do not cherish         
ill-feelings  toward one another2 but   
that all observe the law of ,god        
respecting  ,church duties4 ,they may   
take the lead of meetings when no       
,priest or  higher officer is present4  

,both ,teachers and ,deacons may preach 
the  word of ,god when properly directed
 so to do2 but they have not the  power 
to independently officiate in any       
spiritual ordinances1 such as           
baptizing1 administering the sacrament1 
or laying on of hands4#fcf  ,twenty-four
 ,teachers constitute a quorum2 from    
among such a body a  president and      
counselors are to be chosen4      #fcf  
,doc4 and ,cov4 xx1 #ec-ei2 cvii1 #hf4  
#ah4 ,the ,priests are appointed to     
preach1 teach1 expound the  scripture1  
to baptize1 to administer the sacrament1
 to visit the  houses of the members1   
exhorting them to diligence4 ,when      
properly  directed1 the ,priest may     
ordain ,deacons1 ,teachers1 and other   
,priests2  and he may be called upon to 
assist the ,elder in his work4 ,a quorum
 of  ,priests comprises forty-eight     
members2 such an organization is to be  
presided over by a ,bishop4    #ai4     
,elders are empowered to officiate in   
any or all duties connected  with lower 

callings in the priesthood2 and in      
addition1 they may  ordain other        
,elders2 confirm as members of the      
,church candidates who  have been       
properly baptized1 and confer upon them 
the ,holy ,ghost4  ,these officers have 
authority to bless children in the      
,church1 and to  take charge of all     
meetings1 conducting the same as they   
are led by  the ,holy ,ghost4#fcg ,the  
,elder may officiate in the stead of the
 ,high  ,priest when the latter is not  
present4 ,ninety-six ,elders form a     
quorum2 three of these constitute the   
presidency of the quorum4#fch      #fcg 
,doc4 and ,cov4 xx1 #ch-de1 #gj2 cvii1  
#aa-ab4      #fch ,doc4 and ,cov4 cvii1 
#hi4    #bj4 ,seventies are traveling   
ministers1 ordained to promulgate the   
,gospel among the nations of the earth1 
unto the ,gentiles first1 and  also unto
 the ,jews4 ,they are to act under the  
direction of the  ,apostles in this     
exalted labor4#fci ,a full quorum       
comprises seventy  members1 including   

seven presidents4      #fci ,doc4 and   
,cov4 cvii1 #cd-ce1 #ig-ih4    #ba4     
,high ,priests are ordained with power  
to officiate when properly  directed in 
all the ordinances and blessings of the 
,church4 ,they may  travel as do the    
,seventies1 carrying the ,gospel to the 
nations2 but  they are not specially    
charged with this duty1 their specific  
calling  being that of standing         
presidency4 ,the ,high ,priests of any  
stake of  the ,church may be organized  
into a quorum1 and this without limit as
  to number2 over such a quorum1 three  
of the members may be chosen to         
preside1 as president and               
counselors4#fdj      #fdj ,doc4 and     
,cov4 cvii1 #aj2 cxxiv1 #acd-ace4       
#bb4 ,patriarchs1 or ,evangelists1 are  
charged with the special duty  of       
blessing the ,church2 of course they    
have authority to officiate  also in    
other ordinances4 ,there is one         
,patriarch to the ,church1 with  general
 jurisdiction throughout the whole      

organization2 he holds the  keys of the 
patriarchal office1 and unto him the    
promise is given  that whoever he       
blesses shall be blessed1 and whoever he
 curses shall  be cursed1 that          
whatsoever he shall bind on earth shall 
be bound in  heaven1 and whatsoever he  
shall loose on earth shall be loosed in 
heaven4#fda      #fda ,doc4 and ,cov4   
cxxiv1 #ib-ic4    #bc4 ,concerning the  
patriarchal authority1 the ,lord has    
said3 ,the  order of this priesthood was
 confirmed to be handed down from father
  to son1 and rightly belongs to the    
literal descendants of the chosen  seed 
to whom the promises were made4 ,this   
order was instituted in the  days of    
,adam1 and came down by lineage4#fdb    
,but1 beside this office  of general    
patriarchal power1 there are a number of
 local ,patriarchs  appointed in the    
branches of the ,church1 all subject to 
counsel and  direction at the hands of  
the ,patriarch to the ,church2 yet      
possessing the same privileges in their 

district as belong to him  throughout   
the ,church4 ,it is made a duty of the  
,twelve ,apostles to  ordain evangelical
 ministers1 or ,patriarchs1 in all large
 branches of  the ,church1 the selection
 to be made through the power of        
revelation4#fdc      #fdb ,doc4 and     
,cov4 cvii1 #dj-eg4      #fdc ,doc4 and 
,cov4 cvii1 #ci4    #bd4 ,apostles are  
called to be special witnesses of the   
name of  ,christ in all the world2#fdd  
they are empowered to build up and      
organize the branches of the ,church2   
and may officiate in any or all  of the 
sacred ordinances4 ,they are to travel  
among the ,saints1  regulating the      
affairs of the ,church wherever they go1
 but  particularly where there is no    
complete local organization4 ,they are  
authorized to ordain ,patriarchs and    
other officers in the priesthood1  as   
they may be directed by the ,spirit of  
,god4#fde      #fdd ,doc4 and ,cov4     
cvii1 #bc4      #fde ,doc4 and ,cov4    
cvii1 #ci1 #eh2 xx1 #ch-dd4    #be4     

,presidency and ,quorum                 
,organizations4--,the revealed word of  
,god  has provided for the establishment
 of presiding officers growing out  of1 
or appointed from among those who are   
ordained to the several  offices in     
these two priesthoods4#fdf ,in          
accordance with the  prevailing         
principles of order so characteristic of
 all ,his work1 the  ,lord has directed 
that the bearers of ,his priesthood     
shall be  organized into quorums1 the   
better to aid them in learning the      
duties  of their stations4 ,some of     
these quorums are general in extent and 
authority2 others are local in their    
jurisdiction4 ,all quorums in  authority
 and all presiding officers are to be   
sustained in their  several positions by
 the vote of the people over whom they  
are  appointed to preside4 ,local       
officers are thus voted upon by the     
local  organizations1 general           
authorities by the ,church in conference
  assembled4 ,conferences of the ,church

 are held at semi-annual  intervals1 on 
which occasions the names of all the    
general officers  are submitted for the 
vote of the people4 ,in like manner the 
authorities of stakes and wards are     
sustained by vote at local  conferences 
held for these and other purposes4 ,the 
principle of common  consent is thus    
observed in all the organizations of the
 ,church4      #fdf ,doc4 and ,cov4     
cvii1 #ba4    #bf4 ,the ,first          
,presidency constitutes the presiding   
quorum of the  ,church4 ,by ,divine     
direction1 a president is appointed from
 among the  members of the ,high        
,priesthood to preside over the entire  
,church4 ,he  is known as ,president of 
the ,high ,priesthood of the ,church1 or
  ,presiding ,high ,priest over the     
,high ,priesthood of the ,church4#fdg   
,he  is called to be a seer1 a          
revelator1 a translator1 and a prophet1 
having all the gifts of ,god which ,he  
bestows upon the head of the            
,church4#fdh ,his station is compared by

 the ,lord to that of ,moses of  old1   
who stood as the mouth-piece of ,god    
unto ,israel4 ,in his exalted  labors   
among the ,church1 this ,presiding ,high
 ,priest is assisted by two  others     
holding the same priesthood1 and these  
three ,high ,priests1 when  properly    
appointed and ordained1 and upheld by   
the confidence1 faith1  and prayers of  
the ,church1 form a quorum of the       
,presidency of the  ,church4#fdi        
#fdg ,doc4 and ,cov4 cvii1 #fd-fh4      
#fdh ,doc4 and ,cov4 cvii1 #ia-ib4      
#fdi ,doc4 and ,cov4 cvii1 #bb4    #bg4 
,the ,quorum of the ,twelve             
,apostles4--,twelve men holding the     
apostleship1 properly organized1        
constitute the quorum of the  ,apostles4
 ,these the ,lord has designated as the 
twelve traveling  counselors2#fej they  
form the traveling presiding ,high      
,council1 to  officiate under the       
direction of the ,first ,presidency in  
all parts of  the world4 ,they          
constitute a quorum1 whose unanimous    

decisions are  equally binding in power 
and authority with those of the ,first  
,presidency of the ,church4#fea ,when   
the quorum of the ,first ,presidency  is
 disorganized through the death or      
disability of the ,president1 the       
directing authority in government       
reverts at once to the quorum of the    
,twelve ,apostles1 by whom the          
nomination to the ,presidency is made4  
,there may be apostles in the ,church   
who are not members of this quorum  of  
,twelve2 but such have no place in the  
sittings of the quorum4      #fej ,doc4 
and ,cov4 cvii1 #bc1 #cc4      #fea     
,doc4 and ,cov4 cvii1 #bd4    #bh4 ,the 
,presiding ,quorum of ,seventy4--,the   
first quorum of ,seventies  form a body 
whose unanimous decisions are equally   
binding with those  of the ,twelve      
,apostles4 ,many quorums of ,seventies  
may be required in  the work of the     
,church2 already there have been        
effected approximately  two hundred of  
such organizations2 each quorum is      

presided over by  seven presidents4 ,the
 seven presidents of the ,first ,quorum 
of  ,seventies1 however1 preside over   
all the other quorums and their         
presidents4#feb      #feb ,doc4 and     
,cov4 cvii1 #be-bf1 #cd1 #ic-ig4    #bi4
 ,the ,presiding ,bishopric1 as at      
present constituted1 comprises  the     
,presiding ,bishop of the ,church1 and  
two ,counselors4 ,this quorum  holds    
jurisdiction over the duties of other   
,bishops in the ,church1 and  of all    
organizations pertaining to the ,aaronic
 ,priesthood4 ,the oldest  living       
representative among the sons of ,aaron 
is entitled to this  office of          
presidency1 provided he be in all       
respects worthy and  qualified2 he must 
be designated and ordained by the ,first
 ,presidency  of the ,church4#fec ,if   
such a literal descendant of ,aaron be  
found and  ordained1 he may act without 
counselors1 except when he sits in      
judgment in a trial of one of the       
presidents of the ,high ,priesthood1  in

 which case he is to be assisted by     
twelve ,high ,priests4#fed ,but in  the 
absence of any direct descendant of     
,aaron properly qualified1 a  ,high     
,priest of the ,melchizedek ,priesthood 
may be called and set apart  by the     
,first ,presidency of the ,church to the
 office of ,presiding  ,bishop2 he is to
 be assisted by two other ,high ,priests
 properly  ordained as his              
counselors4#fee      #fec ,doc4 and     
,cov4 lxviii1 #ah-bj4      #fed ,doc4   
and ,cov4 cvii1 #hb-hc4      #fee ,doc4 
and ,cov4 lxviii1 #ai4    #cj4 ,local   
,organizations of the                   
,priesthood4--,where the ,saints are    
permanently located ,stakes of ,zion are
 organized1 each ,stake  comprising a   
number of wards or branches4 ,over each 
,stake is placed a  ,stake ,presidency1 
consisting of a president and two       
counselors1 who  are ,high ,priests     
properly chosen and set apart to this   
office4 ,the  ,stake ,presidency is     
assisted in judicial function by a      

,standing ,high  ,council1 composed of  
twelve ,high ,priests chosen and        
ordained to the  office4 ,this ,council 
is presided over by the ,stake          
,presidency1 and  forms the highest     
judicial tribunal of the ,stake4    #ca4
 ,the presidents of stakes and bishops  
of wards are properly  regarded as      
pastors to the fold2 their duties are   
doubtless analogous  to those of the    
pastors of former dispensations4 ,the   
,high ,priests and  the ,elders in each 
,stake are organized into quorums as    
already  described2 the former without  
limitation as to number1 the latter     
forming one or more quorums1 each of    
ninety-six members1 as their  number may
 warrant4 ,patriarchs are also set apart
 to officiate in  their holy office     
among the people of the ,stake4    #cb4 
,a ,ward ,bishopric is established in   
every fully organized ,ward of  the     
,church4 ,this body consists usually of 
three ,high ,priests set apart  as a    
,bishop and ,counselors4 ,if1 however1 a

 literal descendant of ,aaron  be called
 to the bishopric1 it is his privilege  
to act without  counselors1 as was      
stated in the case of the ,presiding    
,bishop4 ,the  ,bishop has jurisdiction 
over the quorums of the ,lesser         
,priesthood in  his ,ward1 and also over
 holders of the ,higher ,priesthood as  
members of  his ,ward2 but he has no    
direct presidency over quorums of the   
,melchizedek order1 as such1 which may  
be embraced within his domain4  ,as a   
presiding ,high ,priest1 he properly    
presides over his entire ,ward4  ,the   
ward organization comprises quorums of  
,priests1 ,teachers1 and  ,deacons1 one 
or more of each as the numerical extent 
of the ,ward may  determine4    #cc4    
,helps in ,government4--,beside these   
constituted authorities and  offices in 
the priesthood1 there are a number of   
secondary or special  organizations     
established among the people for        
educational and  benevolent purposes4   
,among these1 the following are of such 

importance  as to call for special      
mention4    7#a47 ,primary              
,associations4--,these provide for the  
moral instruction  and training of young
 children4    7#b47 ,mutual ,improvement
 ,associations4--,these comprise        
separate  organizations for the sexes1  
and are designed for the education and  
training of the youth1 in subjects of   
general and theological  interest4      
,instruction is provided in theology1   
literature and history1  science and    
art1 the laws of health1 and numerous   
other branches of  useful knowledge4    
7#c47 ,sunday ,schools comprise graded  
classes for the study of the            
scriptures1 and for training in         
theology1 in moral and religious        
duties1 and in the discipline of the    
,church4 ,sunday schools1 while         
primarily designed for the young1 are   
open to all4    7#d47 ,church           
,schools4--,these institutions provide  
for both secular  and religious         
instruction1 and range from the grade of

 the  kindergarten to that of the       
college4    7#e47 ,religion             
,classes4--,in these is provided a      
course of graded  instruction in        
theology and religion1 which is offered 
as a supplement  and complement to the  
purely secular teachings of the         
non-denominational  schools4    7#f47   
,relief ,societies4--,these are composed
 of women whose  self-imposed duties    
relate to the care of the poor1 and the 
relief of  suffering among the          
afflicted4    #cd4 ,most of these       
auxiliary organizations exist in each   
ward4  ,indeed1 with the exception of   
,church ,schools1 which usually rank as 
stake institutions1 or even as of wider 
scope1 all of the secondary             
organizations named are regarded as     
essential to the complete  equipment of 
any ward4 ,officers are appointed to    
preside over the  several organizations 
in each ward2 and while such officers   
are  subject in a general way to the    
local authorities in the priesthood1    

they look for specific instructions     
regarding the plan and method of  their 
particular work1 to the stake and       
general authorities of the  special     
organizations4 ,in accordance with the  
principle of common  consent which      
characterizes the ,church in general1   
the officers of the  auxiliary          
institutions1 while they are nominated  
by1 or at least with  the consent of the
 established authorities in the         
priesthood1 are  installed and retained 
in office by the vote of the members in 
the  local or general organization      
within which they are appointed to      
labor4      ,,notes4         #a4        
,degeneracy of ,worship ,incident to the
 ,apostasy4--,that1 as       the        
priesthood disappeared from the earth   
after the apostolic       period1 the   
forms of worship were perverted1 while  
many pagan       influences and         
practices crept in1 may be reasonably   
inferred       from the records of      
history4 ,mosheim1 an authority of note 

in       ecclesiastical history1 has    
this to say regarding pagan             
innovations during the fourth           
century3--,the ,christian bishops       
introduced1 with but slight alterations1
 into the ,christian       worship1     
those rites and institutions by which1  
formerly1 the       ,greeks and ,romans 
and other nations had manifested their  
piety       and reverence towards their 
imaginary deities2 supposing that the   
people would more readily embrace       
,christianity1 if they saw that         
the rites handed down to them from their
 fathers still existed       unchanged  
among the ,christians1 and perceived    
that ,christ and the       martyrs were 
worshiped in the same manner as formerly
 their gods       were4 ,there was1 of  
course1 little difference1 in these     
times1       between the public worship 
of the ,christians and that of the      
,greeks and ,romans4 ,in both alike1    
there were splendid robes1       mitres1
 tiaras1 wax tapers1 crosiers1          

processions1 illustrations1             
images1 golden and silver vases1 and    
numberless other things4         ,of the
 form of professedly ,christian worship 
in the fifth       century1 the same    
authority says3--,public worship        
everywhere       assumed a form more    
calculated for show and for the         
gratification       of the eye4 ,various
 ornaments were added to the sacerdotal 
garments1 in order to increase the      
veneration of the people for       the  
clerical order4444 ,in some places it   
was appointed that the       praises of 
,god should be sung perpetually night   
and day1 the       singers succeeding   
each other without interruption3 as if  
the       ,supreme ,being took pleasure 
in clamor and noise1 and in the         
flatteries of men4 ,the magnificence of 
the temples knew no       bounds4       
,splendid images were placed in them2   
444 the image of the       ,virgin ,mary
 holding her infant in her arms occupied
 the most       conspicuous place4      

#b4 ,early ,beginning of the            
,apostasy4--,orson ,pratt1 an apostle of
       the present age1 has written as  
follows concerning the early            
falling away from the authorized        
practices of the ,church3--,the         
great apostasy of the ,christian church 
commenced in the first       century1   
while there were yet inspired apostles  
and prophets in       their midst2 hence
 ,paul1 just previous to his martyrdom1 
enumerates a great number who had 'made 
shipwreck of their       faith1' and    
'turned aside into vain jangling1'      
teaching 'that the       resurrection   
was already past2' giving 'heed to      
fables and       endless genealogies2'  
'doubting about questions and strifes of
       words whereof come envyings1     
railings1 evil surmisings1 perverse     
disputings of men of corrupt minds1 and 
destitute of the truth1       supposing 
that gain is godliness4' ,this apostasy 
had become so       general that ,paul  
declares to ,timothy 'that all they     

which are in       ,asia be turned away 
from me2' and again he says1 'at my     
first       answer1 no man stood with   
me1 but all men forsook me2' he further 
states that 'there are many unruly1 and 
vain talkers1 deceivers1'               
'teaching things which they ought not1  
for filthy lucre's sake4'       ,these  
apostates1 no doubt1 pretended to be    
very righteous1 'for1'       says the   
apostle1 'they profess that they know   
,god1 but in works       they deny him1 
being abominable and disobedient1 and   
unto every       good work reprobate4'  
#c4 ,the ,rule of the                   
,priesthood4--,that the power of the    
,priesthood is to be exercised in the   
spirit of patience and love1       and  
not in opposition to individual free    
agency1 is apparent from       many     
scriptures1 among which is the          
following3--,behold1 there       are    
many called1 but few are chosen4 ,and   
why are they not chosen8       ,because 
their hearts are set so much upon the   

things of this       world1 and aspire  
to the honors of men1 that they do not  
learn       this one lesson--,that the  
rights of the ,priesthood are           
inseparably connected with the powers of
 heaven1 and that the       powers of   
heaven cannot be controlled nor handled 
only upon the       principles of       
righteousness4 ,that they may be        
conferred upon us1       it is true2 but
 when we undertake to cover our sins1 or
 to       gratify our pride1 or vain    
ambition1 or to exercise control1 or    
dominion1 or compulsion1 upon the souls 
of the children of men1       in any    
degree of unrighteousness1 behold1 the  
heavens withdraw       themselves2 the  
,spirit of the ,lord is grieved2 and    
when it is       withdrawn1 ,amen to the
 ,priesthood1 or the authority of that  
man4       ,behold1 ere he is aware1 he 
is left unto himself1 to kick against   
the pricks2 to persecute the saints2 and
 to fight against ,god4 ,we       have  
learned1 by sad experience1 that it is  

the nature and       disposition of     
almost all men3 as soon as they get a   
little       authority1 as they suppose1
 they will immediately begin to         
exercise unrighteous dominion4 ,hence1  
many are called1 but few       are      
chosen4 ,no power or influence can or   
ought to be maintained       by virtue  
of the ,priesthood1 only by persuasion1 
by       long-suffering1 by gentleness1 
and meekness1 and by love               
unfeigned2 by kindness1 and pure        
knowledge1 which shall greatly          
enlarge the soul without hypocrisy and  
without guile2 ,reproving       betimes 
with sharpness1 when moved upon by the  
,holy ,ghost1 and       then showing    
forth afterwards an increase of love    
toward him whom       thou hast         
reproved1 lest he esteem thee to be his 
enemy2 ,that he       may know that thy 
faithfulness is stronger than the cords 
of       death4 ,let thy bowels also be 
full of charity towards all men1        
and to the household of faith2 and let  

virtue garnish thy       thoughts       
unceasingly2 then shall thy confidence  
wax strong in the       presence of     
,god1 and the doctrine of the           
,priesthood shall distil       upon thy 
soul as the dews from heaven4 ,the ,holy
 ,ghost shall be       thy constant     
companion1 and thy sceptre an unchanging
 sceptre of       righteousness and     
truth2 and thy dominion shall be an     
everlasting       dominion1 and without 
compulsory means it shall flow unto thee
       forever and ever4--,doc4 and     
,cov4 cxxi1 #cd-df4          ,,lecture  
,,xii4    ,,spiritual ,,gifts4          
,article #g4--,we believe in the gift of
 tongues1 prophecy1       revelation1   
visions1 healing1 interpretation of     
tongues1 etc4      #a4 ,spiritual ,gifts
 ,characteristic of the ,church4--,it   
has been  already affirmed1 that all men
 who would officiate with propriety in  
the ordinances of the ,gospel must be   
commissioned for their exalted  duties  
by the power and authority of heaven4   

,when so divinely  invested1 these      
servants of the ,lord will not be       
lacking in proofs of  the ,master's     
favor2 for it has ever been             
characteristic of the  dealings of ,god 
with ,his people1 to manifest ,his power
 by the bestowal  of a variety of       
ennobling graces1 which are properly    
called gifts of  the ,spirit4 ,these are
 oft-times exhibited in a manner so     
different  from the usual order of      
things as to be called miraculous and   
supernatural4 ,in this way did the ,lord
 make ,himself known in the early  times
 of scriptural history2 and from the    
days of ,adam until the  present1       
prophets of ,god have generally been    
endowed with such power4  ,whenever the 
priesthood has operated through an      
organized ,church on  the earth1 the    
members of the flock have been          
strengthened in their  faith1 and       
otherwise blessed in numerous related   
ways1 by the  possession of these graces
 within the ,church4 ,we may safely     

regard the  existence of these spiritual
 powers as one of the essential         
characteristics of the true ,church2    
where they are not1 the priesthood  of  
,god does not operate4    #b4           
,mormon#fef solemnly declares that the  
days of miracles will not  pass from the
 ,church1 as long as there shall be a   
man upon the earth  to be saved2 ,for1  
says he1 it is by faith that miracles   
are  wrought2 and it is by faith that   
angels appear and minister unto men2    
wherefore if these things have ceased1  
wo be unto the children of men1  for it 
is because of unbelief1 and all is vain4
 ,and ,moroni1 standing  on the         
threshold of the grave1 bears an        
independent testimony that the  gifts   
and graces of the ,spirit will never be 
done away as long as the  world shall   
stand1 except it be through the unbelief
 of mankind4#feg      #fef ,moroni vii1 
#ce-cg4      #feg ,moroni x1 #ai1       
#bc-bg4    #c4 ,hear the words of this  
prophet addressed to those who deny the 

revelations of ,god and say that they   
are done away1 that there are no        
revelations nor prophecies1 nor gifts1  
nor healing1 nor speaking with  tongues1
 and the interpretation of tongues4     
,behold ,i say unto you1 he  that       
denieth these things knoweth not the    
,gospel of ,christ2 yea he has  not read
 the scriptures2 if so1 he does not     
understand them4 ,for do we  not read   
that ,god is the same yesterday1 to-day1
 and forever1 and in  him there is no   
variableness neither shadow of changing8
 ,and now1 if  ye have imagined up unto 
yourselves a god who doth vary1 and in  
him  there is shadow of changing1 then  
have ye imagined up unto yourselves  a  
god who is not a ,god of miracles4 ,but 
behold1 ,i will show unto you a  ,god of
 miracles1 even the ,god of ,abraham1   
and the ,god of ,isaac1 and  the ,god of
 ,jacob2 and it is that same ,god who   
created the heavens and  the earth1 and 
all things that in them are4#feh        
#feh ,mormon ix1 #g-aa4    #d4 ,nature  

of ,spiritual ,gifts4--,the gifts here  
spoken of are  essentially endowments of
 power and authority1 through which the 
purposes of ,god are accomplished1      
sometimes with accompanying  conditions 
that appear to be supernatural4 ,by such
 the sick may be  healed1 malignant     
influences overcome1 spirits of darkness
 subdued1  the ,saints1 humble and weak1
 may proclaim their testimonies and     
otherwise utter praises unto ,god in new
 and strange tongues1 and  others may   
interpret these words2 the feeble human 
intellect may be  invigorated by the    
heavenly touch of spiritual vision and  
blessed  dreams1 to see and comprehend  
things ordinarily withheld from mortal  
senses2 direct communication with the   
fountain of all wisdom may be           
established1 and the revelations of the 
,divine will may be obtained4    #e4    
,these gifts have been promised of the  
,lord unto those who believe  in ,his   
name2#fei they are to follow obedience  
to the requirements of  the ,gospel4    

,among believers1 they are to serve for 
encouragement1 and  as incentives to    
higher communion with the ,spirit4#ffj  
,they are not  given as signs to gratify
 carnal curiosity2 nor to satisfy a     
morbid  craving for the wonderful4 ,men 
have been led to the light through      
manifestations of the miraculous2 but   
events in the lives of these  show that 
they are either such as would have found
 a knowledge of the  truth in some other
 way1 or they are but superficially     
affected1 and  as soon as the novelty of
 the new sensation has exhausted itself 
they  wander again into the darkness    
from which they had for the time        
escaped4 ,miracles are not primarily    
intended1 surely they are not  needed1  
to prove the power of ,god2 the simpler 
occurrences1 the more  ordinary works of
 creation do that4 ,but unto the heart  
already  softened and purified by the   
testimony of the truth1 to the mind     
enlightened through the ,spirit's power 
and conscious of obedient  service in   

the requirements of the gospel1 the     
voice of miracles comes  with cheering  
tidings of a loving ,parent's continued 
favor1 with fresh  and more abundant    
evidences of the magnanimity of an      
all-merciful  ,god4#ffa      #fei ,mark 
xvi1 #af2 ,doc4 and ,cov4 lxxxiv1       
#fd-gc4      #ffj ,matt1 xii1 #ch1 #ci2 
xvi1 #a-d2 ,mark viii1 #aa1 #ab2 ,luke  
xi1    #af-cj4      #ffa ,see ,note #f4 
#f4 ,yet even to the unbeliever1 the    
testimony of miracles should  appeal1 at
 least to the extent of argument        
favoring an investigation  of the power 
through which these acts are wrought2 in
 such cases  miracles are as a loud     
voice addressed to those who are hard   
of hearing4 ,the purpose of spiritual   
gifts in the ,church is  explicitly set 
forth in a revelation from the ,lord    
through ,joseph  ,smith3--,wherefore1   
beware lest ye be deceived2 and that ye 
may not be  deceived1 seek ye earnestly 
the best gifts1 always remembering for  
what they are given2 ,for verily ,i say 

unto you1 they are given for the        
benefit of those who love me and keep   
all my commandments1 and him  that      
seeketh so to do1 that all may be       
benefited that seeketh or that  asketh  
of me1 that asketh and not for a sign   
that he may consume it  upon his        
lusts4#ffb      #ffb ,doc4 and ,cov4    
xlvi1 #h1 #i4    #g4 ,miracles are      
commonly regarded as supernatural       
occurrences1  taking place in opposition
 to the laws of nature4 ,such a         
conception is  plainly erroneous1 for   
the laws of nature are inviolable4      
,however1 as  human understanding of    
these laws is at best but imperfect1    
events  strictly in accordance with     
natural law may appear contrary thereto4
  ,the entire constitution of nature is 
founded on system and order2 the  laws  
of nature1 however1 are graded as are   
the laws of man4 ,the  application of a 
higher law in any particular case does  
not destroy  the efficacy or validity of
 an inferior one2 the lower law is as   

fully  applicable as before to the case 
for which it is framed4 ,for example1   
society has enacted a law forbidding1 on
 peril of heavy penalties1 any  man     
appropriating the property of another2  
yet oftentimes officers of  the law     
forcibly seize the possessions of their 
fellow-men1 against  whom judgments may 
have been rendered2 and such acts are   
done to  satisfy1 not to violate        
justice4 ,jehovah commanded ,thou shalt 
not  kill1 and mankind has re-enacted   
the law1 prescribing penalties for      
violation thereof4 ,yet sacred history  
testifies1 that1 in certain  cases1 the 
,lawgiver ,himself has directly         
commanded ,his servants to  vindicate   
justice by taking human life4 ,the judge
 who passes the  extreme sentence upon a
 convicted murderer1 and the executioner
 who  carries into effect that dread    
mandate1 act not in opposition to ,thou 
shalt not kill1 but actually in support 
of this decree4    #h4 ,with some of the
 principles upon which the powers of    

nature  operate1 we are in a degree     
acquainted2 and in contemplating them we
  are no longer surprised1 though deeper
 reflection may show that even  the     
commonest occurrence is wonderful and   
strange4 ,but any event  beyond the     
ordinary is pronounced miraculous1      
supernatural1 if not  indeed unnatural1 
and we are more or less awe-stricken by 
the  same4#ffc ,when the prophet ,elisha
 caused the axe to float in the         
river1#ffd he brought to his service1   
through the exercise of the  authority  
of the priesthood1 a power superior to  
that of gravity4  ,without doubt1 the   
iron was heavier than the water2 yet by 
the  operation of this higher force it  
was supported1 suspended1 or  otherwise 
sustained at the surface1 as if it were 
held there by a  human hand1 or rendered
 sufficiently buoyant by attached       
floaters4      #ffc ,see ,note #a4      
#ffd ,,ii ,kings vi1 #e-g4    #i4 ,wine 
ordinarily consists of about four-fifths
 water1 the rest  being a variety of    

chemical compounds the elements of which
 are  abundantly present in the air and 
soil4 ,the ordinary method--what we     
term the natural method--of bringing    
these elements into proper  combination 
is by planting the grape1 then          
cultivating the vine till  the fruit is 
ready to yield its juice in the press4  
,but by the  exercise of a power not    
within purely human reach1 the ,savior1 
at the  marriage in ,cana1#ffe called   
those elements together1 and brought    
about a chemical transformation within  
the water-pots of stone1  resulting in  
the production of pure wine4 ,so1 too1  
when the multitudes  were fed1 under    
,his priestly touch and authoritative   
blessing the  bread and fishes increased
 in substance1 as if the seasons of     
years  had been consumed in their growth
 according to what we consider the      
natural order4 ,in healing the leprous1 
the palsied1 and the infirm1  the       
disordered bodily parts were brought    
again into their normal and  healthful  

state2 the impurities operating as      
poisons in the tissues  were removed by 
means more rapid and effectual than     
those which depend  upon the action of  
drugs and medicine4      #ffe ,john ii1 
#a-aa4 ,see ,miracles in ,jesus the     
,christ1 pp4    #adg1 #aea4    #aj4 ,no 
earnest observer1 no reasoning mind1 can
 doubt the existence  of intelligences  
and organisms which the senses of man do
 not reveal4  ,this world seems but the 
temporal embodiment of things spiritual4
 ,the  ,creator has told us that ,he    
formed all things spiritual before they 
were made temporal4#fff ,the flowers    
that flourish and die on earth  are     
perhaps represented above by            
imperishable blossoms of transcendent   
beauty and entertaining fragrance4 ,man 
is shaped after the image of  ,deity2   
his mind1 though darkened by custom and 
weakened by injurious  habit1 is still a
 fallen type of immortal thought and    
,divine reason2  and though the space   
separating the human and the ,divine in 

thought1  desire1 and action1 be as wide
 as that between sea and sky1 for as the
  stars are above the earth so are the  
ways of ,god above those of man1  yet we
 may affirm a strict analogy between the
 spiritual and the  temporal4 ,when the 
eyes of ,elisha's servant were opened1  
the man saw  the hosts of heavenly      
warriors covering the mountains about   
,dothan1--footmen1 horsemen1 and        
chariots1 armed for fight against the   
,syrians4#ffg ,when ,israel encompassed 
,jericho1#ffh may we not  believe that  
the ,captain of the ,lord's host#ffi and
 his heavenly  train were there1 and    
that before their angelic powers1       
sustained by  the faith and obedience of
 the mortal army1 the walls were        
leveled8      #fff ,see ,note1 page     
#aii4      #ffg ,,ii ,kings vi1 #ac-ah4 
#ffh ,josh4 vi4      #ffi ,josh4 v1 #ac1
 #ad4    #aa4 ,some of the latest and   
highest achievements of man in the      
utilization of natural forces approach  
the conditions of spiritual  operations4

 ,to count the ticking of a watch a     
hundred miles away2 to  speak in but an 
ordinary tone and be heard across the   
country2 to  signal from one hemisphere 
and be understood on the other though   
oceans roll and roar between2 to bring  
the lightning into our homes  and make  
it serve as fire and torch2--are not    
these miracles8 ,the  possibility of    
such would not have been received with  
credence before  their actual           
accomplishment4 ,the ,president of the  
,republic1 sitting in  his chair of     
state at the nation's capital1 talks    
with all parts1 even  with the ends of  
this great country2 and if the apparatus
 be in order1  if operators and         
officials be true1 he is rightly        
informed of every  movement of          
importance anywhere in the land4 ,the   
orbs of the universe  are as truly      
connected by a system of                
inter-communication1  surprisingly      
perfect in its action and adaptation4   
,these and the other  innumerable       

miracles of creation are accomplished in
 strict accordance  with the laws of    
nature1 which are the laws of ,god4 ,but
 we must return  to a further           
consideration of the specific           
manifestations of spiritual  gifts      
within the ,church4    #ab4 ,an         
,enumeration of the ,gifts of the       
,spirit cannot be made  complete by man1
 so numerous1 so extensive are the      
blessings of the  ,father for ,his      
children4 ,yet the more common of these 
spiritual  manifestations have been     
specified by inspired scriptural        
writers1 and  by the sure word of       
revelation4 ,paul writing to the        
,corinthian  ,saints1#fgj ,moroni       
inditing his last appeal to the         
,lamanites1#fga  and the voice of the   
,lord directed to the people of ,his    
,church in this  dispensation1#fgb each 
names many of the great gifts of the    
,spirit4  ,from these scriptures1 we    
learn that every man has received some  
gift  from ,god2 and in the great       

diversity of gifts all do not receive   
the  same4 ,to some it is given by the  
,holy ,ghost to know the differences  of
 administration4444 ,and again it is    
given by the ,holy ,ghost to some  to   
know the diversities of operations      
whether it be of ,god1 that the         
manifestations of the ,spirit may be    
given to every man to profit  withal4   
,and again1 verily ,i say unto you1 to  
some it is given by the  ,spirit of     
,god1 the word of wisdom2 to another it 
is given the word of  knowledge1 that   
all may be taught to be wise1 and to    
have knowledge4  ,and again to some it  
is given to have faith to be healed2 and
 to  others it is given to have faith to
 heal4 ,and again to some it is  given  
the working of miracles1 and to others  
it is given to prophesy1  and to others 
the discerning of spirits4 ,and again1  
it is given to  some to speak with      
tongues2 and to another it is given the 
interpretation of tongues2 and all these
 gifts cometh from ,god for the  benefit

 of the children of ,god4#fgc      #fgj 
,i ,cor4 xii1 #d-aa4      #fga ,moroni  
x1 #g-ai4      #fgb ,doc4 and ,cov4     
xlvi1 #h-bi4      #fgc ,doc4 and ,cov4  
xlvi1 #aa-bf2 see also ,i ,cor4 xii1    
#d-aa4    #ac4 ,the ,gift of ,tongues   
and ,interpretation4--,the gift of      
tongues  constituted one of the first   
miraculous manifestations of the ,holy  
,ghost unto the apostles of old4 ,it was
 included by the ,savior among  the     
special signs appointed to follow the   
believer2 ,in my name1 said  ,he1 they  
shall speak with new tongues4#fgd ,the  
early fulfillment of  this promise in   
the case of the apostles themselves was 
realized on  the succeeding ,pentecost1 
when they1 having assembled in one      
place1  were filled with the ,holy      
,ghost and began to speak in strange    
tongues4#fge ,when the door of the      
,gospel was first opened to the         
,gentiles1 the converts rejoiced in the 
,holy ,ghost which had fallen  upon them
 and which gave them utterance in       

tongues4#fgf ,this gift  with others    
manifested itself among certain         
disciples at ,ephesus1#fgg  on the      
occasion of their receiving the ,holy   
,ghost4 ,in the present  dispensation1  
this gift1 again promised to the        
,saints1 finds frequent  exercise4 ,its 
chief employment is in the function of  
praise rather  than that of instruction 
and preaching2 and this is agreeable to 
,paul's teaching1 ,for he that speaketh 
in an unknown tongue speaketh  not unto 
men but unto ,god4#fgh ,an unusual      
manifestation of the gift  was witnessed
 on the occasion of the ,pentecostal    
conversion of the  ,jews1 already       
referred to1 when the apostles          
addressing the multitude1  were         
understood by all the diversified       
company1 each listener hearing  their   
teachings in his own tongue4#fgi ,this  
special gift was here  associated with  
higher endowments of power2 the occasion
 was one of  instruction1 admonition1   
and prophecy4 ,the gift of              

interpretation may  be possessed by the 
one speaking in tongues1 though more    
commonly the  separate powers are       
exercised by different persons4         
#fgd ,mark xvi1 #ag4      #fge ,acts ii1
 #d4      #fgf ,acts x1 #df4      #fgg  
,acts xix1 #f4      #fgh ,i ,cor4 xiv1  
#b4      #fgi ,acts ii1 #f-ab4    #ad4  
,the ,gift of ,healing was exercised    
extensively in the  dispensation of the 
,savior and ,his apostles2 indeed1      
healing  constituted by far the greater 
part of the miracles wrought at that    
time4 ,by authoritative ministrations1  
the eyes of the blind were  opened2 the 
dumb were made to speak2 the deaf to    
hear2 the lame leaped  for joy2         
afflicted mortals1 bowed with infirmity1
 were lifted erect  and enjoyed the     
vigor of youth2 the palsied were made   
well2 lepers  were cleansed2 impotence  
was banished2 and fevers were assuaged4 
,in  this1 the dispensation of the      
fulness of times1 this power is         
possessed by the ,church1 and its       

manifestation is of frequent  occurrence
 among the ,saints4 ,thousands of       
blessed recipients can  testify to the  
fulfillment of the ,lord's promise1 that
 if ,his servants  lay hands on the     
sick1 they shall recover4#fhj      #fhj 
,mark xvi1 #ah2 see also ,doc4 and ,cov4
 lxxxiv1 #fh4    #ae4 ,the usual method 
of administering to the sick is by the  
imposition of hands of those who possess
 the requisite authority of  the        
priesthood2--this being agreeable to the
 ,savior's instructions in  former      
days1#fha and according to ,divine      
revelation in the present  day4#fhb     
,this part of the ordinance is usually  
preceded by an  anointing with oil      
previously consecrated4 ,the ,latter-day
 ,saints  profess to abide by the       
counsels of ,james of old1#fhc ,is any  
sick  among you8 ,let him call for the  
elders of the church1 and let them  pray
 over him1 anointing him with oil in the
 name of the ,lord2 and the  prayer of  
faith shall save the sick1 and the ,lord

 shall raise him up2  and if he have    
committed sins1 they shall be forgiven  
him4      #fha ,the same2 see also      
,james v1 #ad1 #ae4      #fhb ,doc4 and 
,cov4 xlii1 #dc-dd4      #fhc ,james v1 
#ad1 #ae4    #af4 ,though the authority 
to administer to the sick belongs to the
  elders of the ,church in general1 some
 possess this power in an unusual       
degree1 having received it as a special 
endowment of the ,spirit4  ,another     
gift1 allied to this1 is the power of   
exercising faith to be  healed2#fhd     
which is manifested in varying degrees4 
,not always are  the administrations of 
the elders followed by immediate        
healings2 the  afflicted may be         
permitted to suffer in body1 perhaps for
 the  accomplishment of ,divine         
purposes1#fhe and in the time appointed 
of  the ,lord1 ,his children pass       
through bodily death4 ,but let the      
counsels  of ,god be observed in        
administering to the afflicted2 then if 
they  recover1 they live unto the ,lord2

 and the assuring promise is added  that
 those who die under such conditions die
 unto the ,lord4#fhf      #fhd ,doc4 and
 ,cov4 xlvi1 #ai2 xlii1 #dh-ea2 see also
 ,acts xiv1 #i2    ,matt1 viii1 #aj2 ix1
 #bh1 #bi4      #fhe ,see instances of  
,job4      #fhf ,doc4 and ,cov4 xlii1   
#dd-df4    #ag4 ,visions and ,dreams    
have constituted a means of             
communication  between ,god and ,his    
children in every dispensation of the   
priesthood4  ,in general1 visions are   
manifested to the waking senses1 whilst 
dreams  are given during sleep4 ,in the 
vision1 however1 the senses may be so   
affected as to render the person        
practically unconscious1 at least       
oblivious to ordinary occurrences1 while
 he is able to discern the  heavenly    
manifestation4 ,in the earlier          
dispensations1 the ,lord very           
frequently communicated through dreams  
and visions1 often-times  revealing to  
,his prophets the events of the future  
even to the latest  generations4 ,from  

the multitude of instances recorded1 let
 us select a  few4 ,consider the case of
 ,enoch1#fhg unto whom the ,lord spake  
face to  face1 showing him the course of
 the human family until and beyond the  
second coming of the ,savior4 ,the      
brother of ,jared#fhh because of his    
righteousness was so blessed of ,god as 
to be shown all the inhabitants  of the 
earth1 both those who had previously    
existed and those who were  to follow4  
,unto ,moses the will of ,god was made  
known with the visual  manifestation of 
fire4#fhi ,lehi received his            
instructions to leave  ,jerusalem#fij   
through dreams2 and on many subsequent  
occasions the  ,lord communicated with  
this patriarch of the western world by  
visions  and by dreams4 ,the ,old       
,testament prophets were generally so   
favored2  e4 g41 ,jacob the father of   
all ,israel1#fia ,job the patient       
sufferer1#fib ,jeremiah1#fic            
,ezekiel1#fid ,daniel1#fie              
,habakkuk1#fif ,zechariah4#fig      #fhg

 ,pearl of ,great ,price3 ,moses vi1    
#bg-ci4      #fhh ,ether iii4      #fhi 
,exo4 iii1 #b4      #fij ,i ,nephi ii1  
#b-d4      #fia ,gen4 xlvi1 #b4         
#fib ,job iv1 #ab-ba4      #fic ,jer4 i1
 #aa-af4      #fid ,ezek4 i2 ii1 #i1    
#aj2 iii1 #bb1 #bc2 viii2 xxxvii1 #a-aj1
 etc4      #fie ,dan4 vii2 viii4        
#fif ,hab4 ii1 #b1 #c4      #fig ,zech4 
i1 #h-aa2 #ah-ba2 ii1 #a1 #b2 iv2 v2 vi1
 #a-h4    #ah4 ,the dispensation of     
,christ and ,his apostles was marked by 
similar manifestations4 ,the birth of   
,john the ,baptist was fore-told to  his
 father while he was officiating in     
priestly functions4#fih  ,joseph1       
betrothed to the ,virgin1 received      
through an angel's  visit#fii tidings of
 the ,christ yet to be born2 and on     
subsequent  occasions he received       
warnings and instructions in dreams     
concerning  the welfare of the ,holy    
,child4#gjj ,the ,magi1 returning from  
their  pilgrimage of worship1 were      
warned in dreams of ,herod's treacherous

  designs4#gja ,saul of ,tarsus was     
shown in a vision the messenger whom    
,god was about to send to him to        
minister in the ordinances of the       
priesthood2#gjb and other visions       
followed4#gjc ,peter was prepared  for  
the ministry to the ,gentiles through a 
vision2#gjd and ,john was  so favored of
 ,god in this respect that the book of  
,revelation is  occupied by the record4 
#fih ,luke i1 #e-bb4      #fii ,matt4 i1
 #bj4      #gjj ,matt4 ii1 #ac1 #ai1    
#bb4      #gja ,matt4 ii1 #ab4      #gjb
 ,acts ix1 #ab4      #gjc ,acts xvi1 #i2
 xviii1 #i1 #aj2 xxii1 #ag-ba4      #gjd
 ,acts x1 #aj-af2 xi1 #e-aj4    #ai4    
,most of the visions and dreams recorded
 in scripture have been  given to the   
chosen people through the ministering   
priesthood2 but  there are exceptional  
instances of such manifestations unto   
some1 who1  at the time1 had not entered
 the fold4 ,such1 for example1 was the  
case  with ,saul and ,cornelius2 but in 
these instances the ,divine             

manifestations were immediately         
preliminary to conversion4 ,dreams  with
 special import were given to           
,pharaoh1#gje ,nebuchadnezzar1#gjf  and 
others2 but it required a higher power  
than their own to interpret  them2 and  
,joseph and ,daniel were called to      
officiate4 ,the dream given  to the     
,midianite soldier1 and its             
interpretation by his fellow1#gjg       
betokening the victory of ,gideon1 were 
true manifestations2 as also  the dream 
of ,pilate's wife1#gjh in which she     
learned of the innocence  of the accused
 ,christ4      #gje ,gen4 xli2 see other
 instances in ,gen4 xl4      #gjf ,dan4 
ii4      #gjg ,jud4 vii1 #ac1 #ad4      
#gjh ,matt4 xxvii1 #ai4    #bj4 ,the    
,gift of ,prophecy distinguishes its    
possessor as a  prophet1--literally1 one
 who speaks for another2 specifically1  
one who  speaks for ,god1#gji ,it is    
distinguished by ,paul as one of the    
most  desirable of spiritual endowments1
 and its pre-eminence over the gift  of 

tongues he discusses at length4#gaj ,to 
prophesy is to receive and  declare the 
word of ,god1 and the statement of ,his 
will to the people4  ,the function of   
prediction1 often regarded as the sole  
essential of  prophecy1 is but one among
 many characteristics of this divinely  
given  power4 ,the prophet may have as  
much concern with the past as with the  
present or the future2 he may exercise  
his gift in teaching through  the light 
of1 and by the experience of preceding  
events1 as in  fore-telling occurrences4
 ,the prophets of ,god have ever been in
  special favor with ,him1 being        
privileged to learn of ,his will and    
designs2 indeed1 the promise is made    
that the ,lord will do nothing  except  
,he reveal ,his secret purposes unto    
,his servants1 the  prophets4#gaa ,these
 chosen oracles stand as mediators      
between ,god and  mortals1 pleading for 
or against the people4#gab      #gji    
,see note #b4      #gaj ,i ,cor4 xiv1   
#a-i4      #gaa ,amos iii1 #g4      #gab

 ,i ,kings xviii1 #cf1 #cg2 ,rom4 xi1   
#b1 #c2 ,james v1 #af-ah2 ,rev4    xi1  
#f4    #ba4 ,no special ordination in   
the priesthood is essential to man's    
receiving the gift of prophecy2 bearers 
of the ,melchizedek order1  ,adam1      
,noah1 ,moses1 and a multitude of others
 were truly prophets1 but  not more     
truly so than were many who exercised   
the ,aaronic functions  only--as for    
example most of the ,old ,testament     
priests subsequent to  the time of      
,moses1 and ,john the ,baptist4#gac ,the
 ministrations of the  prophetesses     
,miriam#gad and ,deborah#gae show that  
this gift may be  possessed by women    
also4 ,in the time of ,samuel1 the      
prophets were  organized into a special 
order1 to aid their purposes of study   
and  improvement4#gaf      #gac ,matt4  
xi1 #h-aj4      #gad ,exo4 xv1 #bj4     
#gae ,jud4 iv1 #d4      #gaf ,see ,note 
#c4    #bb4 ,in the present             
dispensation1 this great gift is enjoyed
 in a  fulness equal to that of any     

preceding time4 ,the ,lord's will       
concerning present duties is made known 
to ,his people through the  mouths of   
prophets2 and events of great import are
 fore-told4#gag ,the  very fact of the  
present existence and growing condition 
of the ,church  is an undeniable        
testimony of the power and reliability  
of modern  prophecy4 ,the ,latter-day   
,saints constitute a body of witnesses1 
numbering hundreds of thousands1 to the 
effect of this1 one of the  great gifts 
of ,god4      #gag ,doc4 and ,cov4 i1   
#d2 lxxxvii4    #bc4 ,revelation is the 
means through which the will of ,god is 
declared directly and in fulness to man4
 ,under circumstances best  suiting the 
,divine purposes1 through the dreams of 
sleep or in waking  visions of the mind1
 by voices without visional appearance1 
or by  actual manifestations of the     
,holy ,presence before the eye1 ,god    
makes  known ,his designs1 and charges  
,his chosen vessels to bear the sacred  
messages so imparted4 ,under the        

influence of inspiration1 or its more   
potent manifestation--revelation1 man's 
mind is enlightened1 and his  energies  
quickened to the accomplishment of      
wonders in the work of  human progress2 
touched with a spark from the heavenly  
altar1 the  inspired instrument         
cherishes the holy fire within his soul1
 and  imparts it to others as he may be 
led to do2 he is the channel through    
which the will of ,god is conveyed4 ,the
 words of him who speaks by  revelation 
in its highest form1 are not his own2   
they are the words of  ,god ,himself2   
the mortal mouth-piece is but the       
trusted conveyer of  these heavenly     
messages4 ,with the authoritative1 ,thus
 saith the  ,lord1 the revelator        
delivers the burden intrusted to his    
care4    #bd4 ,the ,lord strictly       
observes the principles of order and    
propriety  in giving revelation to ,his 
servants4 ,though it is the privilege of
  any person to live so as to merit this
 gift in the affairs of his  special    

calling1 only those appointed and       
ordained to the offices of  presidency  
are to be revelators to the people at   
large4 ,concerning the  ,president of   
the ,church1 who at the time of the     
revelation here  referred to was the    
,prophet ,joseph ,smith1 the ,lord has  
said to the  elders of the              
,church3--,and this ye shall know       
assuredly1 that there  is none other    
appointed unto you to receive           
commandments and  revelations until he  
be taken1 if he abide in me4444 ,and    
this shall be  a law unto you1 that ye  
receive not the teachings of any that   
shall  come before you1 as revelations  
or commandments4 ,and this ,i give unto 
you that you may not be deceived1 that  
you may know they are not of  me4#gah   
#gah ,doc4 and ,cov4 xliii1 #c1 #e1 #f4 
#be4 ,the ,testimony of ,miracles4--,the
 ,savior's promise in a former  day#gai 
as in the present dispensation#gbj is   
definite1 to the  effect that specified 
gifts of the ,spirit are to follow the  

believer  as signs of ,divine favor4    
,the possession and exercise of such    
gifts  may be taken therefore as        
essential features of the ,church of    
,christ4#gba ,nevertheless we are not   
justified in regarding the  evidence of 
miracles as infallible testimony of     
authority from heaven2  on the other    
hand1 the scriptures furnish abundant   
proof that  spiritual powers of the     
baser sort have wrought miracles1 and   
will  continue so to do1 to the         
deceiving of many who lack discernment4 
,if  miracles be accepted as infallible 
evidence of godly power1 the  magicians 
of ,egypt1 through the wonders which    
they accomplished in  opposition to the 
ordained plan for ,israel's deliverance1
 have as good  a claim to our respect as
 has ,moses4#gbb ,john the ,revelator   
saw in  vision a wicked power working   
miracles1 and thereby deceiving many2   
doing great wonders1 even bringing fire 
from heaven4#gbc ,again1 he  saw three  
unclean spirits1 whom he knew to be the 

spirits of devils  working miracles4#gbd
      #gai ,mark xvi1 #ag-ah4      #gbj 
,doc4 and ,cov4 lxxxiv1 #fe-gc4         
#gba ,see ,notes #d and #e4      #gbb   
,exo4 vii-xi4      #gbc ,rev4 xiii1     
#aa-ah4      #gbd ,rev4 xvi1 #ac-ad4    
#bf4 ,consider1 in connection with this1
 the prediction made by the             
,savior3--,there shall arise false      
,christs1 and false prophets1 and  shall
 show great signs and wonders1 insomuch 
that1 if it were  possible1 they shall  
deceive the very elect4#gbe ,the        
invalidity of  miracles as a proof of   
righteousness is declared in an         
utterance of  ,christ ,jesus regarding  
the events of the great judgment3--,many
 will  say to me in that day1 ,lord1    
,lord1 have we not prophesied in thy    
name8  and in thy name have cast out    
devils8 and in thy name done many       
wonderful works8 ,and then will ,i      
profess unto them1 ,i never knew you2   
depart from me1 ye that work            
iniquity4#gbf ,the ,jews1 to whom these 

teachings were addressed1 knew that     
wonders could be wrought by evil        
powers2 for they charged ,christ with   
working miracles by the authority  of   
,beelzebub the prince of devils4#gbg    
#gbe ,matt4 xxiv1 #bd4      #gbf ,matt4 
vii1 #bb-bc4      #gbg ,matt4 xii1      
#bb-cj2 ,mark iii1 #bb2 ,luke xi1 #ae4  
,see ,jesus the    ,christ1 p4 #bfe4    
#bg4 ,if the working of miracles were a 
distinctive characteristic of  the holy 
priesthood1 we would look for the       
testimony of wondrous  manifestations in
 connection with the work of every      
prophet and  authorized minister of the 
,lord2 yet we fail to find a record of  
miracles in the case of ,zechariah1     
,malachi1 and other prophets of old2    
while of ,john the ,baptist1 whom       
,christ declared to be more than a      
prophet1#gbh it was plainly said that he
 did no miracle2#gbi  nevertheless1 in  
rejecting ,john's doctrine1 the         
unbelievers were  ignoring the counsel  
of ,god against their own souls4#gcj ,to

 be valid  as a testimony of truth1     
miracles must be wrought in the name of 
,christ1 and to ,his honor1 in          
furtherance of the plan of salvation4   
,as  stated1 they are not given to      
satisfy the curious and the lustful1 nor
  as a means of gaining notoriety for   
him through whom they are  accomplished4
 ,these gifts of the true ,spirit are   
manifested in support  of the message   
from heaven1 and in corroboration of the
 words spoken  by authority4      #gbh  
,matt4 xi1 #i4      #gbi ,john x1 #da4  
#gcj ,luke vii1 #cj4    #bh4 ,imitations
 of ,spiritual ,gifts4--,the proofs     
already cited of  miraculous            
achievements by powers other than of    
,god1 and the  scriptural predictions   
concerning such deceptive manifestations
 in the  last days1 ought to be our     
warning against spurious imitations of  
the  gifts of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,satan 
has shown himself to be an  accomplished
 strategist and a skilful imitator2 the 
most deplorable of  his victories are   

due to his simulation of good1 whereby  
the  undiscerning have been led captive4
 ,let us not be deluded with the        
thought that any act1 the immediate     
result of which appears to be  benign1  
is necessarily productive of permanent  
good4 ,it may serve the  dark purposes  
of man's arch-enemy to play upon the    
human sense of  goodness1 even to the   
extent of healing the body1 and         
apparently of  thwarting death4    #bi4 
,the restoration of the priesthood to   
earth in this age of the  world was     
followed by a phenomenal growth of the  
vagaries of  spiritualism1 whereby many 
have been led to put their trust in     
,satan's  counterfeit of ,god's eternal 
power4 ,the development of the healing  
gift in the ,church today is imitated in
 a degree comparable to that  with which
 the magicians simulated the miracles of
 ,moses1 by the  varied faith cures and 
their numerous modifications4 ,for those
 to whom  miraculous signs are          
all-sufficient1 the imitation will      

answer as well  as would the real2 but  
the soul who regards the miracle in its 
true  nature as but one element of the  
system of ,christ1 possessing value as  
a positive criterion only as it is      
associated with the numerous other      
characteristics of the ,church1 will not
 be deceived4    #cj4 ,spiritual ,gifts 
in the ,church ,today4--,the ,latter-day
 ,saints  claim to possess within the   
,church all the sign-gifts promised as  
the  heritage of the believer4 ,they    
point to the unimpeached testimonies of 
thousands who have been blessed with    
direct and personal  manifestations of  
heavenly power2 to the once blind1 and  
dumb1 halt1  and weak in body1 who have 
been freed from their infirmities       
through  their faith and by the         
ministrations of the priesthood2 to a   
multitude  who have voiced their        
testimony in tongues with which they    
were  naturally unfamiliar2 or who have 
demonstrated their possession of the    
gift by a phenomenal mastery of foreign 

languages1 when such was  necessary to  
the discharge of their duties as        
preachers of the word of  ,god2 to many 
who have enjoyed communion with heavenly
 beings2 to  others who have prophesied 
in words that have found their speedy   
vindication in literal fulfillment2 and 
to the ,church itself1 whose  growth has
 been guided by the voice of its ,divine
 ,leader1 made known  through the gift  
of revelation4#gca      #gca ,sec ,note 
#g4      ,,notes4         #a4 ,a        
,seeming ,miracle4--,a few years ago1   
,herr ,werner ,siemens1 a       ,german 
scientist of note1 visited the pyramid  
of ,gizeh1 and1       accompanied by a  
couple of ,arab guides1 climbed to the  
top4 ,he       observed that the        
atmospheric conditions were very        
favorable to       electric             
manifestations4 ,fastening a large brass
 button to an       empty water-gourd in
 the hands of one of the ,arabs1 and    
then       placing his knuckle within a 
short distance from the button1 he      

drew therefrom a succession of brilliant
 sparks1 accompanied of       course by 
the crackling noises characteristic of  
electric       discharges4 ,the guides  
viewed this exhibition of supernatural  
powers with amazement and terror1 which 
reached a climax when       their master
 stretched his staff above his head1 and
 the stick       was surmounted by a    
beautiful ,st4 ,elmo's flame4 ,this     
spectacle       was more than the       
superstitious ,bedouins could bear1 they
       trembled before an enchanter who 
could play with lightning and       fire
 as with a toy1 and who carried         
miniature thunder in his coat           
pocket2 so they fled down the steps with
 dangerous precipitation1       and soon
 disappeared in the desert4         #b4 
,the ,term ,prophet appears in the      
,english ,bible as the       translation
 of a number of ancient terms1 the most 
usual of which       is nabhi 7,hebrew71
 signifying to bubble forth like a      
fountain4 ,another of the original words

 is rheo 7,greek71       meaning to     
flow1 and by derivation to speak forth1 
to       utter1 to declare4 ,a prophet1 
then1 is one from whom flow       forth 
the words of a higher authority4 ,aaron 
is spoken of as a       prophet or      
spokesman to ,moses 7,exo4 vii1 #a72 but
 in the usual       sense1 the prophet  
is the representative of ,god4 ,closely 
allied       with the calling of the    
prophet is that of the seer2 indeed1 at 
a       time prior to that of ,samuel1  
the common designation of the           
oracle of ,god was seer3 for he that is 
now called a prophet was                
beforetime called a seer 7,i ,sam4 ix1  
#i74 ,the seer was permitted       to   
behold the visions of ,god1 the prophet 
to declare the truths       so learned2 
the two callings were usually united in 
the same       person4 ,unto the prophet
 and seer the ,lord usually communicated
       in visions and dreams2 but an    
exception to this order was made in     
the case of ,moses1 who was so faithful 

and so great in all things       good1  
that the ,lord discarded the usual means
 and declared       ,himself to ,his    
servant face to face 7,num4 xii1 #f-h74 
#c4 ,prophets ,organized4--,the         
prophet's office existed among men      
in the earliest periods of history4     
,adam was a prophet 7,doc4 and          
,cov4 cvii1 #ec-ef72 as also were ,enoch
 7,jude #ad2 ,p4 of ,g4 ,p41            
,moses vi1 #bf71 ,noah 7,gen4 vi1 vii2  
,p4 of ,g4 ,p41 ,moses viii1 #ai2       
,,ii ,peter ii1 #e71 ,abraham 7,gen4 xx1
 #g71 ,moses 7,deut4 xxxiv1 #aj71       
and a multitude of others who ministered
 at intermediate and       subsequent   
times4 ,samuel1 who was established in  
the eyes of all       ,israel as a      
prophet of the ,lord 7,i ,sam4 iii1 #ai1
 #bj71 organized       the prophets into
 a society for common instruction and   
edification4 ,he established schools for
 the prophets1 theological              
colleges1 where men were trained in     
things pertaining to holy       offices2

 the students were generally called sons
 of the       prophets 7,i ,kings xx1   
#ce2 ,,ii ,kings ii1 #c1 #e1 #g2 iv1 #a1
 #ch2 ix1       #a74 ,such schools were 
established at ,ramah 7,i ,sam4 xix1    
#ai1 #bj71       ,bethel 7,,ii ,kings   
ii1 #c71 ,jericho 7,,ii ,kings ii1 #e71 
,gilgal 7,,ii       ,kings iv1 #ch74    
,the members seem to have lived together
 as a       society 7,,ii ,kings vi1    
#a-d74 ,in the present dispensation1 a  
similar organization was effected under 
the direction of the       prophet      
,joseph ,smith2 this also received the  
name of the ,school       of the        
,prophets4         #d4 ,the ,decline of 
,spiritual ,gifts in former days is     
admitted by       many authorities on   
ecclesiastical history and ,christian   
doctrine4 ,as an instance of this kind  
of testimony to the       departure of  
the spiritual graces from the apostate  
church1 the       following words of    
,john ,wesley may be applied3--,it does 
not       appear that these             

extraordinary gifts of the ,holy ,spirit
 were       common in the church for    
more than two or three centuries4 ,we   
seldom hear of them after that fatal    
period when the emperor                 
,constantine called himself a           
,christian1 and from a vain             
imagination of promoting the ,christian 
cause thereby1 heaped       riches and  
power and honor upon ,christians in     
general1 but in       particular upon   
the ,christian clergy4 ,from this time  
they almost       totally ceased2 very  
few instances of the kind were found4   
,the       cause of this was not as has 
been supposed because there was no      
more occasion for them1--because all the
 world was become       ,christians4    
,this is a miserable mistake2 not a     
twentieth part of       it was then     
nominally ,christian4 ,the real cause of
 it was the       love of many1 almost  
all ,christians1 so called1 was waxed   
cold4       ,the ,christians had no more
 of the ,spirit of ,christ than the     

other       heathens4 ,the ,son of ,man1
 when he came to examine ,his ,church1  
could hardly find faith upon the earth4 
,this was the real cause       why the  
extraordinary gifts of the ,holy ,ghost 
were no longer to       be found in the 
,christian ,church--because the         
,christians were       turned heathens  
again1 and only had a dead form         
left4--,wesley's       ,works1 vii1 #hi2
 #bf-bg4         #e4 ,sectarian ,views  
concerning ,continuance or ,decline of  
,spiritual ,gifts4--,protestant writers 
insist that the age of       miracles   
closed with the fourth or fifth century1
 and that after       that the          
extraordinary gifts of the ,holy ,ghost 
must not be looked       for4 ,catholic 
writers1 on the other hand1 insist that 
the power       to perform miracles has 
always continued in the ,church2 yet    
those       spiritual manifestations    
which they describe after the fourth and
       fifth centuries savor of         
invention on the part of the priests1   

and childish incredulity on the part of 
the people2 or else1 what       is      
claimed to be miraculous falls far short
 of the power and       dignity of those
 spiritual manifestations which the     
primitive       church was wont to      
witness4 ,the virtues and prodigies1    
ascribed       to the bones and other   
relics of the martyrs and saints1 are   
puerile in comparison with the healings 
by the anointing with oil       and the 
laying on of hands1 speaking in tongues1
 interpretations1       prophecies1     
revelations1 casting out devils in the  
name of ,jesus       ,christ2 to say    
nothing of the gifts of faith1 wisdom1  
knowledge1       discernment of spirits1
 etc4--common in the ,church in the days
 of       the apostles 7,i ,cor4 xii1   
#h-aj74 ,nor is there anything in the   
scriptures or in reason that would lead 
one to believe that they       were to  
be discontinued4 ,still this plea is    
made by modern                          
,christians--explaining the absence of  

these spiritual powers       among      
them--that the extraordinary gifts of   
the ,holy ,ghost were       only        
intended to accompany the proclamation  
of the gospel during       the first few
 centuries1 until the church was able to
 make its       way without them1 and   
they were to be done away4 ,it is       
sufficient       to remark upon this1   
that it is assumption pure and simple1  
and       stands without warrant either 
of scripture or right reason2 and       
proves that men had so far changed the  
religion of ,jesus ,christ       that it
 became a form of godliness without the 
power       thereof4--,elder ,b4 ,h4    
,roberts1 ,outlines of ,ecclesiastical  
,history1 part ii1 sec4 v1 #f-h4        
#f4 ,miracles an ,aid to ,spiritual     
,growth4--,apostle ,orson ,pratt1       
commenting on the utterances of ,paul   
concerning the passing away       of    
certain spiritual gifts 7,i ,cor4 xiii71
 writes in part as       follows3--,the 
church in its militant and imperfect    

state1       compared with its          
triumphant1 immortal1 and perfect state1
 is 7in       the #aath verse7          
represented by the two very different   
states of       childhood and manhood4  
',when1' says ,st4 ,paul1 ',i was a     
child1 ,i       spake as a child1       
understood as a child1 ,i thought as a  
child2       but when ,i became a man ,i
 put away childish things4' ,in the     
various stages of education from        
childhood to manhood1 certain           
indispensable rules1 and diagrams1 and  
scientific instruments are              
employed for the use and benefit of the 
pupil1 that he may       acquire a      
correct knowledge of the sciences1 and  
be perfected in       his studies4 ,when
 the principles have been once acquired1
 and the       student has been         
perfected in every branch of education1 
he can       dispense with many of his  
maps1 charts1 globes1 books1 diagrams1  
etc42 as being1 like childish things1 no
 longer necessary2 they       were      

useful before his education was         
perfected1 in imparting the             
desired knowledge1 but having fulfilled 
their purposes1 he no       longer needs
 their assistance4444 ,so it is with the
 ,church in       relation to spiritual 
gifts4 ,while in this state of existence
 it       is represented as a child3    
prophecy1 revelations1 tongues1 and     
other spiritual gifts are the           
instruments of education4 ,the          
child1 or church1 can no more be        
perfected in its education       without
 the aid of these gifts as instruments1 
than the chemist       could in his     
researches if he were deprived of the   
necessary       apparatus for           
experiments4 ,as the chemist needs his  
laboratory       for experiments1 as    
long as there remains any undiscovered  
truths       in relation to the elements
 and compounds of our globe1 so does    
the ,church need the great laboratory of
 spiritual       knowledge--namely1     
revelation and prophecy1--as long as it 

knows       only in part4444 ,as a human
 being1 when a child1 speaks as a       
child1 understands as a child1 and      
thinks as a child1 so does the          
,church in this state of existence know 
only in part2 but as the       child1   
when it becomes a man1 puts away        
childish things1 so will       the      
,church put away such childish things as
 'prophecy in part1'       'knowledge in
 part1' and 'seeing in part1' when it   
grows up1       through the aid of these
 things1 to a perfect man in ,christ    
,jesus2 that which is in part will be   
done away or merged into the            
greater fulness of knowledge which there
 reigns4--,divine       ,authenticity of
 the ,book of ,mormon1 i1 #ae4          
,but none of these gifts will be done   
away as long as the occasion       for  
their exercise continues4 ,that this was
 the conviction of       ,apostle ,orson
 ,pratt1 whose words are quoted above1  
is evident       from the following     
utterances by the same authority3--,the 

affliction of devils1 the confusion of  
tongues1 deadly poisons       and       
sickness1 are all curses which have been
 introduced into the       world by the 
wickedness of man4 ,the blessings of the
 gospel are       bestowed to counteract
 these curses4 ,therefore1 as long as   
these       curses exist1 the promised  
signs ,mark xvi1 #af-ah2 ,doc4 and ,cov4
       lxxxiv1 #fe-gb are needed to     
counteract their evil consequences4     
,if ,jesus had not intended that the    
blessings should be as       extensive  
and unlimited in point of time as the   
curses1 ,he would       have intimated  
something to that effect in ,his word4  
,but when ,he       makes a universal   
promise of certain powers1 to enable    
every       believer in the gospel      
throughout the world to overcome certain
       curses1 entailed upon man because
 of wickedness1 it would be the         
rankest kind of infidelity not to       
believe the promised blessing           
necessary1 as long as the curses abound 

among men4         #g4 ,modern          
,manifestations4--,the official and     
incidental       publications of the    
,church abound in instances of          
miraculous       manifestations during  
the current dispensation4 ,a number of  
authenticated accounts with many cases  
are to be found as                      
follows3--,orson ,pratt's ,divine       
,authenticity of the ,book of           
,mormon1 chapter v2 ,b4 ,h4 ,roberts' ,a
 ,new ,witness for ,god1       chapter  
xviii4         ,for a brief treatment of
 ,the ,attitude of ,science towards     
,miracles see in ,jesus the ,christ1 p4 
#aea1 ,note #g1 summary of       an     
article published by the ,victoria      
,institute or ,philosophical            
,society of ,great ,britain4            
,,lecture ,,xiii4    ,,the ,,bible4     
,article #h4--,we believe the ,bible to 
be the word of ,god1 as far       as it 
is translated correctly4444      #a4    
,our ,acceptance of the ,bible4--,the   
,church of ,jesus ,christ of            

,latter-day ,saints accepts the ,bible  
as the first and foremost of her        
standard works1 chief among the books   
which have been proclaimed as  her      
written guides in faith and doctrine4   
,in the respect and sanctity  with which
 the ,latter-day ,saints regard the     
,bible1 they are of like  profession    
with ,christian denominations in        
general1 but differ from  them in the   
additional acknowledgment of certain    
other scriptures as  authentic and holy1
 which others are in harmony with the   
,bible1 and  serve to support and       
emphasize its facts and doctrines4      
,there is1  therefore1 no specifically  
,mormon treatment of the ,bible to be   
presented4 ,the historical and other    
data1 upon which is based the  current  
,christian faith as to the genuineness  
of the biblical record1  are accepted as
 unreservedly by the ,latter-day ,saints
 as by the  members of any sect2 and in 
literalness of interpretation this      
,church  probably excels4    #b4        

,nevertheless1 the ,church announces a  
reservation in the case of  erroneous   
translation1 which may occur as a result
 of human  incapacity2 and even in this 
measure of caution we are not alone1 for
  biblical scholars generally admit the 
presence of errors of the kind1  many of
 them self-apparent4 ,the ,latter-day   
,saints believe the original  records to
 be the word of ,god unto man1 and1 as  
far as these records  have been         
translated correctly1 the translations  
are regarded as  equally authentic4 ,the
 ,english ,bible professes to be a      
translation  made through the wisdom of 
man2 in its preparation the most        
scholarly  men have been enlisted2 yet  
not a version has been published in     
which  even the unlearned cannot        
perceive errors4 ,however1 an impartial 
investigator has cause to wonder more at
 the paucity of errors than  that errors
 are to be found at all4    #c4 ,there  
will be1 there can be1 no absolutely    
reliable translation  of these or other 

scriptures1 unless it be effected       
through the gift  of translation1 as one
 of the endowments of the ,holy ,ghost4 
,the  translator must have the spirit of
 the prophet if he would render in      
another tongue the prophet's words2 and 
human wisdom leads not to that          
possession4 ,let the ,bible then be read
 reverently1 and with prayerful  care1  
the reader ever seeking the light of the
 ,spirit that he may  discern between   
truth and the mistakes of men4    #d4   
,the ,name ,bible4--,in present usage1  
the term ,holy ,bible  designates the   
collection of sacred writings otherwise 
known as the  ,jewish scriptures1       
containing an account of the dealings of
 ,god with  the human family2 which     
account is confined wholly1 except in   
the  record of ante-diluvian events1 to 
the eastern hemisphere4 ,the word       
,bible1 though singular in form1 is the 
,english representative of a  ,greek    
plural1 ,biblia1 signifying literally   
the books4 ,the use of  the word        

probably dates from the fourth century1 
at which time we find  ,chrysostom#gcb  
employing the term to designate the     
scriptural books  then accepted as      
canonical by the ,greek ,christians4 ,it
 is to be noted1  that the idea of a    
collection of books predominates in all 
early  usages of the word ,bible2 the   
scriptures were1 as they are1 composed  
of the special writings of many authors1
 widely separated in time2  and1 from   
the striking harmony and unity          
prevailing throughout these  diverse    
productions1 strong evidence of their   
authenticity may be  adduced4      #gcb 
,see ,note #a4    #e4 ,the word ,biblia 
was thus endowed with a special meaning 
in the  ,greek1 signifying the books1   
that is to say the holy books as        
distinguishing the sacred scriptures    
from all other writings2 and the  term  
soon became current in the ,latin1 in   
which tongue it was used  from the first
 in its special sense4 ,through ,latin  
usage1 perhaps  during the thirteenth   

century1 the word came to be regarded as
 a  singular noun signifying the book2  
this departure from the plural  meaning1
 invariably associated with the term in 
the ,greek original1  led up to the     
popular error of regarding the ,bible as
 having been a  unified volume from the 
first4 ,hence we meet with the reputed  
derivation of the word from the ,greek  
singular noun ,biblos meaning  the book1
 but this is declared by a preponderance
 of good authority  to be founded on a  
traditional misconception4 ,it may      
appear that the  derivation of a word is
 of trifling importance2 yet in this    
case1 the  original form and first use  
of the title now current as that of the 
sacred volume must be of instructive    
interest1 as throwing some light  upon  
the compilation of the book in its      
present form4    #f4 ,it is evident that
 the name ,bible is not of itself a     
biblical  term2 its use as a designation
 of the ,jewish scriptures is wholly    
external to those scriptures themselves4

 ,in its earliest application1  which   
dates from post-apostolic times1 it was 
made to embrace most if  not all the    
books of the ,old and the ,new          
,testament4 ,prior to the time  of      
,christ1 the books of the ,old          
,testament were known by no single      
collective name1 but were designated in 
groups as 7#a7 the ,pentateuch1  or five
 books of the ,law2 7#b7 the ,prophets2 
and 7#c7 the ,hagiographa1  comprising  
all sacred records not included in the  
other divisions4 ,but  we may the better
 consider the parts of the ,bible by    
taking the main  divisions separately4  
,a very natural division of the biblical
 record  is effected by the earthly work
 of the ,savior2 the written productions
  of pre-,christian times came to be    
known as the ,old ,covenant2 those of   
the days of the ,savior and the years   
immediately following1 as the ,new      
,covenant4#gcc ,the term testament      
gradually grew in favor until the       
designations ,old and ,new ,testaments  

became common4      #gcc ,i ,cor4 xi1   
#be2 see also ,jer4 xxxi1 #ca4          
,,the ,,old ,,testament4    #g4 ,its    
,origin and ,growth4--,at the time of   
our ,lord's ministry in the  flesh1 the 
,jews were in possession of certain     
scriptures which they  regarded as      
canonical or authoritative4 ,there can  
be little doubt as  to the authenticity 
of those works1 for they were frequently
 quoted by  both ,christ and the        
apostles1 by whom they were designated  
as the  scriptures4#gcd ,the ,savior    
specifically refers to them under their 
accepted terms of classification as the 
law of ,moses1 the prophets1  and the   
psalms4#gce ,the books thus accepted by 
the people in the  time of ,christ are  
sometimes spoken of as the ,jewish canon
 of  scripture4 ,the term canon1 now    
generally current1 suggests not books   
that are merely credible1 authentic1 or 
even inspired1 but such books  as are   
recognized as authoritative guides in   
profession and practice4  ,the term is  

instructive in its derivation4 ,its     
,greek original1  kanon1 signified a    
straight measuring rod1 and hence it    
came to mean  an authoritative standard 
of comparison1 a rule1 or test1 as      
applied  to moral subjects as well as to
 material objects4      #gcd ,john v1   
#ci2 ,acts xvii1 #aa4      #gce ,luke   
xxiv1 #dd4    #h4 ,as to the formation  
of the ,jewish canon1 or the ,old       
,testament1 we  read that ,moses wrote  
the first part of it1 viz4 the ,law2 and
 that he  committed it to the care of   
the priests1 or ,levites1 with a command
  that they preserve it in the ark of   
the covenant1#gcf to be a witness       
against ,israel in their transgressions4
 ,fore-seeing that a king would  some   
day govern ,israel1 ,moses commanded    
that the monarch should make a  copy of 
the ,law for his guidance4#gcg ,joshua1 
successor of ,moses1 as  leader and     
law-giver of ,israel1 wrote further of  
the dealings of ,god  with the people1  
and of the ,divine precepts2 and this   

writing he  evidently appended to the   
,law as recorded by ,moses4#gch ,three  
centuries and a half after the time of  
,moses1 when the theocracy had  been    
replaced by a monarchy1 ,samuel1 the    
approved prophet of the ,lord1  wrote of
 the change in a book1 and laid it up   
before the ,lord4#gci  ,and thus we see 
the law of ,moses was augmented by later
 authoritative  records4 ,from the      
writings of ,isaiah1 we learn that the  
people had  access to the ,book of the  
,lord2 for the prophet admonished them  
to  seek it out1 and read it4#gdj ,it is
 evident1 then1 that in the time  of    
,isaiah the people had a written        
authority in doctrine and practice4     
#gcf ,deut4 xxxi1 #i1 #bd-bf4      #gcg 
,deut4 xvii1 #ah4      #gch ,joshua     
xxiv1 #bf4      #gci ,i ,sam4 x1 #be4   
#gdj ,isaiah xxxiv1 #af4    #i4 ,nearly 
four centuries later 7#fdj-fcj ,b4 ,c471
 while the righteous  king ,josiah      
occupied the throne of ,judah as a part 
of divided ,israel1  ,hilkiah the high  

priest and father of the prophet        
,jeremiah found in  the temple a book of
 the law of the ,lord1#gda which was    
read before  the kings4#gdb ,then1      
during the fifth century ,b4 ,c41 in the
 days of  ,ezra1 the edict of ,cyrus    
permitted the captive people of ,judah1 
a  remnant of once united ,israel1 to   
return to ,jerusalem1#gdc there to      
rebuild the temple of the ,lord1        
according to the law#gdd of ,god then   
in the hand of ,ezra4 ,from this we may 
infer that the written law was  then    
known2 and to ,ezra is usually          
attributed the credit of compiling  the 
books of the ,old ,testament as far as  
completed in his day1 to  which he added
 his own writings4#gde ,in this work of 
compilation he  was probably assisted by
 ,nehemiah and the members of the ,great
  ,synagogue1--a ,jewish college of a   
hundred and twenty scholars4#gdf  ,the  
book of ,nehemiah1 which gives a        
continuation of the historical  story as
 recorded by ,ezra1 is supposed to have 

been written by the  prophet whose name 
it bears1 in part at least during the   
life of ,ezra4  ,then1 a century later1 
,malachi1#gdg the last of the prophets  
of note  who flourished before the      
opening of the dispensation of ,christ1 
added  his record1 completing1 and      
virtually closing the pre-,christian    
canon1  with a prophetic promise of the 
,messiah and of the messenger whose     
commission would be to prepare the way  
of the ,lord4      #gda ,,ii ,chron4    
xxxiv1 #ad-ae2 see also ,deut4 xxxi1    
#bf4      #gdb ,,ii ,kings xxii4        
#gdc ,ezra i1 #a-c4      #gdd ,see ,ezra
 vii1 #ab-ad4      #gde ,the ,book of   
,ezra4      #gdf ,this historical       
information is given in certain of the  
apocryphal works2 see ,,ii ,esdras4     
#gdg ,mal4 iii1 iv4    #aj4 ,thus1 it is
 evident that the ,old ,testament grew  
with the  successive writings of        
authorized and inspired scribes from    
,moses to  ,malachi1 and that its       
compilation was a natural and gradual   

process1  each addition being deposited1
 or1 as the sacred record gives it1     
laid up before the ,lord1 in connection 
with the previous writings4             
,undoubtedly there were known to the    
,jews many other books1 not  included in
 our present ,old ,testament2 references
 to such are abundant  in the scriptures
 themselves1 which references prove that
 many of  those extra-canonical records 
were regarded as of great authority4    
,but  concerning this we will enquire   
further in connection with the          
,apocrypha4 ,the recognized canonicity  
of the ,old ,testament books is         
attested by the numerous references in  
the latter to the earlier  books1 and by
 the many quotations from the ,old      
,testament occurring in  the ,new4      
,about two hundred and thirty quotations
 or direct references  have been listed2
 and in addition to these1 hundreds of  
less direct  allusions occur4    #aa4   
,language of the ,old ,testament4--,it  
is highly probable1 almost  certain     

indeed1 that nearly all the books of the
 ,old ,testament were  originally       
written in ,hebrew4 ,scholars profess to
 have found evidence  that small        
portions of the books of ,ezra1 ,daniel1
 and ,jeremiah were  written in the     
,chaldee language2 but the prevalence of
 ,hebrew as the  language of the        
original scriptures has given to the    
,old ,testament the  common appellation1
 ,hebrew or ,jewish canon4 ,of the      
,pentateuch1 two  versions have been    
recognized1--the ,hebrew proper and the 
,samaritan1#gdh the latter of which was 
preserved in the most ancient  of       
,hebrew characters by the ,samaritans1  
between whom and the ,jews  there was   
lasting enmity4      #gdh ,see ,note #b4
    #ab4 ,the ,septuagint4--,passing    
over the ,peshito or early ,syriac      
version of the ,old ,testament as of    
minor significance1 we recognize as  the
 first important translation of the     
,hebrew canon that known as the         
,septuagint4#gdi ,this was a ,greek     

version of the ,old ,testament1         
translated from the ,hebrew at the      
instance of an ,egyptian monarch1       
probably ,ptolemy ,philadelphus1 about  
#bhf ,b4 ,c4 ,the name ,septuagint      
suggests the number seventy1 and is said
 to have been given because  the        
translation was made by a body of       
seventy-two elders 7in round  numbers   
seventy72 or1 as other traditions say1  
because the work was  accomplished in   
seventy1 or seventy-two days2 or1       
according to yet  other stories1 because
 the version received the sanction of   
the ,jewish  ecclesiastical council1 the
 ,sanhedrin1 which comprised seventy-two
  members4 ,certain it is that the      
,septuagint 7sometimes indicated by the 
numerals ,,lxx7 was the current version 
among the ,jews in the days of          
,christ's ministry1 and was quoted by   
the ,savior and the apostles in  their  
references to the old canon4 ,it is     
regarded as the most  authentic of the  
ancient versions1 and is accepted at the

 present time  by the ,greek ,christians
 and other eastern churches4 ,it is     
evident1  then1 that from a time nearly 
three hundred years before ,christ1 the 
,old ,testament has been current in both
 ,hebrew and ,greek3 this  duplication  
has been an effective means of          
protection against  alterations4        
#gdi ,see ,note #c4    #ac4 ,the        
,present ,compilation recognizes        
thirty-nine books in the ,old           
,testament3 these were originally       
combined as twenty-two books1           
corresponding to the letters in the     
,hebrew alphabet4 ,the thirty-nine      
books as at present constituted may be  
conveniently classified as  follows3    
7#a47 ,the ,pentateuch or ,books of the 
,law       #e    7#b47 ,the ,historical 
,books                    #ab    7#c47  
,the ,poetical ,books                   
#e    7#d47 ,the ,books of the ,prophets
               #ag    #ad4 7#a47 ,the   
,books of the ,law4--,the first five    
books in the ,bible  are collectively   

designated as the ,pentateuch           
7pente--five1  teuxos--volume72 and were
 known among the early ,jews as the     
,torah1  or the law4 ,their authorship  
is traditionally ascribed to ,moses1#gej
  and in consequence the ,five ,books of
 ,moses is another commonly used        
designation4 ,they give the history1    
brief though it be1 of the human  race  
from the creation to the flood1 and from
 ,noah to ,israel2 then a  more         
particular account of the chosen people 
through their period of  ,egyptian      
bondage2 thence during the journey of   
four decades in the  wilderness to the  
encampment on the farther side of       
,jordan4      #gej ,ezra vi1 #ah2 vii1  
#f2 ,neh4 viii1 #a2 ,john vii1 #ai4     
#ae4 7#b47 ,the ,historical ,books1     
twelve in number1 comprise the          
following3 ,joshua1 ,judges1 ,ruth1 ,i  
and ,,ii ,samuel1 ,i and ,,ii ,kings1 ,i
  and ,,ii ,chronicles1 ,ezra1          
,nehemiah1 ,esther4 ,they tell the story
 of the  ,israelites entering the land  

of promise1 and their subsequent career 
through three distinct periods of their 
existence as a people3--7#a7 as  a      
theocratic nation1 with a tribal        
organization1 all parts cemented by     
ties of religion and kinship2 7#b7 as a 
monarchy1 at first a united  kingdom1   
later a nation divided against itself2  
7#c7 as a partly  conquered people1     
their independence curtailed by the hand
 of their  victors4    #af4 7#c47 ,the  
,poetical ,books number five3 ,job1     
,psalms1 ,proverbs1  ,ecclesiastes1 and 
the ,song of ,solomon4 ,they are        
frequently spoken of  as the doctrinal  
or didactic works1 and the ,greek       
designation  ,hagiographa 7hagios--holy1
 and graphe--a writing7 is still        
applied4#gea ,these are of widely       
different ages1 and their close         
association in the ,bible is probably   
due to their common use as guides  in   
devotion amongst the ,jewish churches4  
#gea ,as stated1 the ,hagiographa1 or   
sacred writings1 are    generally       

understood to include the five poetical 
works of the ,old    ,testament4 ,by    
some authorities1 the list is extended  
to include    all the books mentioned in
 the ,talmud as hagiographa2 viz41      
,ruth1    ,chronicles1 ,ezra and        
,nehemiah1 ,esther1 ,job1 ,psalms1      
,proverbs1    ,ecclesiastes1 ,song of   
,solomon1 ,lamentations1 and ,daniel4   
#ag4 7#d47 ,the ,books of the ,prophets 
comprise the five larger works  of      
,isaiah1 ,jeremiah1 the ,lamentations of
 ,jeremiah1 ,ezekiel1 and  ,daniel1     
commonly known as the works of the      
,major ,prophets2 and the  twelve       
shorter books of ,hosea1 ,joel1 ,amos1  
,obadiah1 ,jonah1 ,micah1  ,nahum1      
,habakkuk1 ,zephaniah1 ,haggai1         
,zechariah1 and ,malachi1 known to      
,bible scholars as the books of the     
,minor ,prophets4 ,these give the       
burden of the ,lord's word to ,his      
people1 encouragement1 warning and      
reproof1 as suited their condition1     
before1 during1 and after their         

captivity4#geb      #geb ,see ,note #d4 
#ah4 ,the ,apocrypha comprise a number  
of books of doubtful  authenticity1     
though such have been at times highly   
esteemed4 ,thus1  they were added to the
 ,septuagint1 and for a time were       
accorded  recognition among the         
,alexandrine ,jews4 ,however1 they have 
never been  generally admitted1 being of
 uncertain origin4 ,they are not quoted 
in  the ,new ,testament4 ,the           
designation apocryphal 7meaning hidden1 
or  secret7 was first applied to the    
books by ,jerome1 because1 said he1  the
 church doth read them for example of   
life and instruction of  manners1 but   
yet doth it not apply them to establish 
any doctrine4  ,the ,roman church       
professes to acknowledge them as        
scripture1 action to  this end having   
been taken by the council of ,trent     
7#aedf72 though the  doubt of the       
authenticity of the works seems still to
 exist even among  the ,roman ,catholic 
authorities4 ,the sixth article in the  

,liturgy of  the ,church of ,england    
defines the orthodox views of the church
 as to  the meaning and intent of ,holy 
,scripture2 and1 after specifying the   
books of the ,old ,testament which are  
regarded as canonical1 proceeds  in this
 wise3--,and the other books 7as        
,hierome ,jerome  saith7 the church doth
 read for example of life and           
instruction of  manners2 but yet doth it
 not apply them to establish any        
doctrine2  such are these               
following3--,the ,third ,book of        
,esdras2 ,the ,fourth ,book  of ,esdras2
 ,the ,book of ,tobias2 ,the ,book of   
,judith2 ,the rest of the  ,book of     
,esther2 ,the ,book of ,wisdom2 ,jesus1 
the ,son of ,sirach2 ,baruch  the       
,prophet2 ,the ,song of the ,three      
,children2 ,the ,story of ,susanna2 ,of 
,bel and the ,dragon2 ,the ,prayer of   
,manasses2 ,the ,first ,book of         
,maccabees2 ,the ,second ,book of       
,maccabees4      ,,the ,,new            
,,testament4    #ai4 ,its ,origin and   

,authenticity4--,since the latter part  
of the  fourth century of our present   
era1 there has arisen scarcely a single 
question of importance regarding the    
authenticity of the books of the  ,new  
,testament as at present constituted4   
,from that time until the  present1 the 
,new ,testament has been accepted as an 
unquestioned canon  of scriptures by all
 professed ,christians4#gec ,in the     
fourth century1  there were generally   
current several lists of the books of   
the ,new  ,testament as we now have     
them2 of these may be mentioned the     
catalogues of ,athanasius1 ,epiphanius1 
,jerome1 ,rufinus1 and ,augustine  of   
,hippo1 and the list announced by the   
third ,council of ,carthage4 ,to  these 
may be added four others1 which differ  
from the foregoing in  omitting the     
,revelation of ,john in three cases1 and
 the same with the  ,epistle to the     
,hebrews in one4      #gec ,see ,notes  
#e and #f4    #bj4 ,this superabundance 
of evidence relating to the constitution

 of  the ,new ,testament canon in the   
fourth century is a result of the       
anti-,christian persecution of that     
period4 ,at the beginning of the        
century in question1 the oppressive     
measures of ,diocletian1 emperor of     
,rome1 were directed not alone against  
the ,christians as individuals  and as a
 sect1 but against their sacred         
writings1 which the fanatical  and cruel
 monarch sought to destroy4 ,some degree
 of leniency was  extended to those     
persons who yielded up the holy books   
that had been  committed to their care2 
and not a few embraced this opportunity 
of  saving their lives4 ,when the rigors
 of persecution were lessened1 the      
churches sought to judge their members  
who had weakened in their  allegiance to
 the faith1 as shown by their surrender 
of the  scriptures1 and all such were   
anathematized as traitors4 ,inasmuch as 
many books that had been thus given up  
under the pressure of  threatening death
 were not at that time generally        

accepted as holy1 it  became a question 
of first importance to decide just which
 books were  of such admitted sanctity  
that their betrayal would make a man a  
traitor4#ged ,hence we find ,eusebius   
designating the books of the  ,messianic
 and apostolic days as of two           
classes3--7#a7 ,those of  acknowledged  
canonicity1 viz3--the gospels1 the      
epistles of ,paul1  ,acts1 ,i ,john1 ,i 
,peter1 and probably the ,apocalypse4   
7#b7 ,those of  disputed authenticity1  
viz3--the epistles of ,james1 ,,ii      
,peter1 ,,ii and  ,,iii ,john1 and      
,jude4 ,to these classes he added a     
third class1 including  books that were 
admittedly spurious4#gee      #ged ,see 
,tregelles' ,historic ,evidence of the  
,origin 444 of the    ,books of the ,new
 ,testament1 p4 #ab--4      #gee ,see   
,eusebius1 ,ecclesiastical ,history1    
iii1 #be4    #ba4 ,as stated1 the list  
published by ,athanasius1 which dates   
from  near the middle of the fourth     
century1 gives the constitution of the  

,new ,testament as we now have it2 and  
at that time all doubts as to the       
correctness of the enumeration seem to  
have been put to rest2 and we  find the 
,testament of common acceptance by      
professing ,christians in  ,rome1       
,egypt1 ,africa1 ,syria1 ,asia ,minor1  
and ,gaul4 ,the testimony of  ,origen1  
who flourished in the third century1 and
 that of ,tertullian1  who lived during 
the second1 were tested and pronounced  
conclusive by  the later writers in     
favor of the canonicity of the gospels  
and the  apostolic writings4 ,each book 
was tested on its own merits1 and all   
were declared by common consent to be   
authoritative and binding on the        
churches4    #bb4 ,if there be need to  
go farther back1 we may note the        
testimony  of ,irenus1 distinguished in 
ecclesiastical history as ,bishop of    
,lyons2 he lived in the latter half of  
the second century1 and is known  as a  
disciple of ,polycarp1 who was          
personally associated with the          

,revelator1 ,john4 ,his voluminous      
writings affirm the authenticity of     
most of the books of the ,new           
,testament1 and define their authorship 
as  at present admitted4 ,to these      
testimonies may be added those of the   
,saints in ,gaul1 who wrote to their    
fellow-sufferers in ,asia1 quoting      
freely from gospels1 epistles1 and the  
,apocalypse2#gef the  declarations of   
,melito1 ,bishop of ,sardis1 who        
journeyed to the ,east to  determine    
which were the canonical books1         
particularly of the ,old                
,testament2#geg and the solemn attest of
 ,justin ,martyr1 who embraced          
,christianity as a result of his earnest
 and learned investigations1  and who   
suffered death for his convictions4 ,in 
addition to individual  testimony1 we   
have that of ecclesiastical councils and
 official  bodies1 by whom the question 
of authenticity was tried and decided4  
,in  this connection may be mentioned   
the ,council of ,nice1 #cbe ,a4 ,d42 the

  ,council of ,laodicea1 #cfc ,a4 ,d42  
the ,council of ,hippo1 #cic ,a4 ,d42   
the  third and the sixth ,councils of   
,carthage1 #cig and #dai ,a4 ,d4        
#gef ,see ,eusebius1 book iv4      #geg 
,eusebius iv1 #bf4    #bc4 ,since the   
date last named1 no dispute as to the   
authenticity of  the ,new ,testament has
 claimed much attention2 surely the     
present is  too late a time1 and the    
separating distance today is too vast1  
to  warrant the reopening of the        
question4 ,the ,new ,testament must be  
accepted for what it claims to be2 and  
though1 perhaps1 many precious  parts   
have been suppressed or lost1 while some
 corruptions of the  sacred texts may   
have crept in1 and errors have been     
inadvertently  introduced through the   
incapacity of translators1 the volume as
 a  whole must be admitted as authentic 
and credible1 and as an essential  part 
of the holy scriptures4#geh      #geh   
,compare ,john v1 #ci4    #bd4          
,classification of the ,new             

,testament4--,the ,new ,testament       
comprises twenty-seven books1           
conveniently classified as3--      7#a47
 ,historical      #e    7#b47 ,didactic 
#ba    7#c47 ,prophetic       #a    #be4
 7#a47 ,the ,historical ,books include  
the four ,gospels and the  ,acts of the 
,apostles4 ,the authors of these works  
are spoken of as the  evangelists       
,matthew1 ,mark1 ,luke1 and ,john2 to   
,luke is ascribed the  authorship of the
 ,acts4    #bf4 7#b47 ,the ,didactic    
,books comprise the epistles2 and these 
we  may arrange thus3 7#a47 ,the        
,epistles of ,paul1 comprising 7a7 his  
doctrinal letters addressed to ,romans1 
,corinthians1 ,galatians1  ,ephesians1  
,philippians1 ,colossians1              
,thessalonians1 ,hebrews2 7b7 his       
pastoral communications to ,timothy1    
,titus1 and ,philemon4 7#b47 ,the       
,general ,epistles of ,james1 ,peter1   
,john1 and ,jude4    #bg4 7#c47 ,the    
,prophetic ,works1 consisting of the    
,revelation of  ,john1 commonly known as

 the ,apocalypse4      ,,the ,,bible    
,,as ,a ,,whole4    #bh4 ,early         
,versions of the ,bible4--,many versions
 of the ,old ,testament  and of the     
combined ,testaments have appeared at   
different times4 ,the  ,hebrew text with
 the ,samaritan duplication of the      
,pentateuch1 and the  ,greek            
translation1 or the ,septuagint 7,,lxx71
 have been already noted4  ,revisions   
and modified translations competed for  
favor with the  ,septuagint during the  
early ages of the ,christian era2       
,theodotian1  ,aquila1 and ,symmachus   
each issued a new version4 ,one of the  
first  translations into ,latin was the 
,italic version1 probably prepared in   
the second century2 this was later      
improved and amended1 and then  became  
known as the ,vulgate2 and this is still
 held by the church of  ,rome to be the 
authentic version4 ,this version        
included both ,old and  ,new            
,testaments4    #bi4 ,many ,modern      
,versions in ,english1 some fragmentary1

 others  complete1 have appeared since  
the beginning of the thirteenth century4
  ,about #achj ,a4 ,d41 ,wycliffe       
presented an ,english translation of the
 ,new  ,testament1 made from the        
,vulgate2 the ,old ,testament was       
afterward  added4 ,about #aebe ,a4 ,d41 
,tyndale's translation of the ,new      
,testament  appeared2 this was included 
in ,coverdale's ,bible1 printed in      
#aece1  which constituted the first     
version of the complete ,bible4         
,matthew's  ,bible dates from #aecg2    
,taverner's ,bible from #aeci1 and      
,cranmer's ,great  ,bible from the same 
year4 ,in #aefj the ,geneva ,bible      
appeared2 in #aefh  the ,bishops'       
,bible1 the first ,english version      
having chapter and verse  divisions2 and
 in #afaa the so-called ,authorized     
,english ,version1 or  ,king ,james'    
translation1 this being a new           
translation of ,old and ,new            
,testaments from the ,hebrew and ,greek1
 made by forty-seven scholars at  the   

command of ,king ,james ,i4 ,this has   
superseded all earlier versions1  and is
 the form now in current use among      
,protestants4 ,but even this  latest and
 supposedly best version was found to   
contain many and  serious errors2 and in
 #ahhe a revised version was issued1    
which1  however1 has not yet been       
accorded general acceptance4    #cj4    
,genuineness and ,authenticity of the   
,bible4--,however interesting  and      
instructive these historical and        
literary data of the ,jewish  scriptures
 may be1 the consideration of such is   
subordinate to that of  the authenticity
 of the books2 for as we1 in common with
 the rest of  the ,christian world1 have
 accepted them as the word of ,god1 it  
is  eminently proper that we should     
inquire into the genuineness of the     
records upon which our faith is so      
largely founded4 ,all evidences         
furnished by the ,bible itself1 such as 
its language1 historical  details1 and  
the consistency of its contents1 unite  

in supporting its  claim to genuineness 
as the actual works of the authors to   
whom the  separate parts are ascribed4  
,in a multitude of instances1           
comparisons  are easy between the       
biblical record and contemporary history
 not  scriptural1 particularly in regard
 to biography and genealogy1 and1 in    
all such cases1 striking agreement has  
been found4#gei ,further  argument      
exists in the individuality maintained  
by each writer1  resulting in a marked  
diversity of style2 while the wondrous  
unity  pervading the whole declares the 
operation of some single guiding        
influence throughout the ages of the    
record's growth2 and this can be        
nothing less than the power of          
inspiration which operated upon all who 
were accepted as instruments in the     
,divine ,hand to prepare this book  of  
books4 ,tradition1 contemporary history1
 literary analysis1 and  above and      
beyond all these1 the test of prayerful 
research and  truth-seeking             

investigation1 unite to prove the       
authenticity of this  wondrous volume1  
and to point the way1 defined within its
 covers1  leading men back to the       
,eternal ,presence4      #gei ,see ,note
 #g4    #ca4 ,book of ,mormon ,testimony
 regarding the ,bible4--,as declared in 
the eighth of the ,articles of ,faith   
now under consideration1 the            
,latter-day ,saints accept the ,book of 
,mormon as a volume of sacred           
scripture1 which1 like the ,bible1      
embodies the word of ,god4 ,in the  next
 lecture the ,book of ,mormon will      
receive our special attention2  but it  
may be profitable to refer here to the  
collateral evidence  furnished by that  
work regarding the authenticity of the  
,jewish  scriptures1 and of the general 
integrity of these latter in their      
present form4 ,according to the ,book of
 ,mormon record1 the ,prophet  ,lehi1   
with his family and some others1 left   
,jerusalem by the command  of ,god1     
about #fjj ,b4 ,c41 during the first    

year of ,king ,zedekiah's  reign4       
,before finally forsaking the land of   
their nativity1 the  travelers secured  
certain records1 which were engraved on 
plates of  brass4 ,among these writings 
were a history of the ,jews and some of 
the  scriptures then accepted as        
authentic4    #cb4 ,lehi examined the   
brazen record--,and he beheld that they 
did  contain the five books of ,moses1  
which gave an account of the creation   
of the world1 and also of ,adam and     
,eve1 who were our first parents2  and  
also a record of the ,jews from the     
beginning1 even down to the             
commencement of the reign of ,zedekiah1 
king of ,judah2 and also the  prophecies
 of the holy prophets1 from the         
beginning1 even down to the             
commencement of the reign of ,zedekiah2 
and also many prophecies which  have    
been spoken by the mouth of             
,jeremiah4#gfj ,this direct reference   
to the ,pentateuch and to certain of the
 ,jewish prophets is valuable  external 

evidence concerning the authenticity of 
those parts of the  biblical record4    
#gfj ,i ,nephi v1 #aj-ac4    #cc4 ,in a 
vision1 ,nephi1 the son of ,lehi1       
learned of the future of  ,god's plan   
regarding the human family2 and saw that
 a book of great  worth1 containing the 
word of ,god and the covenants of the   
,lord with  ,israel1 would go forth from
 the ,jews to the ,gentiles4#gfa ,it is 
further stated that ,lehi's company1    
who1 as we shall see1 were led  across  
the waters to the western continent1    
whereon they established  themselves and
 afterward grew to be a numerous and    
powerful people1  were accustomed to    
study the scriptures engraved on the    
plates of  brass2 and1 moreover1 their  
scribes embodied long quotations        
therefrom  in their own growing         
record4#gfb ,so much for ,book of       
,mormon  recognition of the ,old        
,testament1 or at least of such parts of
 the  ,jewish canon as had been         
completed when ,lehi's migrating colony 

left  ,jerusalem1 during the ministry of
 the prophet ,jeremiah4      #gfa ,see  
,i ,nephi xiii1 #ba-bc4      #gfb ,i    
,nephi xx-xxi2 ,,ii ,nephi vii-viii2    
xii-xxiv4    #cd4 ,but further1         
concerning the ,new ,testament          
scriptures this voice  from the western 
world is not silent4 ,in prophetic      
vision1 many of the  ,nephite teachers  
saw and fore-told the ministry of       
,christ in the  meridian of time1 and   
recorded predictions concerning the     
principal  events of the ,savior's life 
and death1 with striking fidelity and   
detail4 ,this testimony is recorded of  
,nephi1#gfc ,benjamin1#gfd who  was both
 prophet and king1 ,abinadi1#gfe ,samuel
 the converted  ,lamanite1#gff and      
others4 ,in addition to these and many  
other  prophecies regarding the mission 
of ,christ1 all of which agree with  the
 ,new ,testament record of their        
fulfillment1 we find in the ,book of    
,mormon an account of the risen ,lord's 
ministrations among the ,nephite        

people1 during which ,he established    
,his ,church with them1 after the       
pattern recorded in the ,new ,testament2
 and1 moreover1 ,he gave them  many     
instructions in words almost identical  
with those of ,his  teachings among the 
,jews in the east4#gfg      #gfc ,i     
,nephi x1 #d-e2 xi-xiii2 xiv2 ,,ii      
,nephi ix1 #e2 x1 #c2 xxv1 #bf2    xxvi1
 #bd4      #gfd ,mosiah iii2 iv1 #c4    
#gfe ,mosiah xiii-xvi4      #gff        
,helaman xiv1 #ab4      #gfg ,,iii      
,nephi ix-xxvi2 compare for ,new        
,testament references with    ,matthew  
v-vii etc42 and for ,old ,testament     
mention with ,isaiah liv2    ,malachi   
iii-lv4      ,,notes4         #a4 ,john 
,chrysostom1 one of the ,greek          
,christian ,fathers1       flourished   
during the latter half of the fourth    
century2 he was       patriarch of      
,constantinople1 but was deposed and    
exiled some time       before his death 
which occurred in #djg4 ,his use of the 
term       biblia to designate the      

scriptural canon is among the earliest  
applications of the sort yet found1 ,he 
entreated his people to       avail     
themselves of the riches of inspired    
works in this       wise3--,hear1 ,i    
exhort1 all yet in secular life1 and    
purchase       biblia1 the medicine of  
the soul4 ,speaking of the ,jewish      
,christians1 he says1 ,they have the    
biblia1 but we have the       treasures 
of the biblia2 they have the letters1 we
 have the       letters and the         
understanding4         #b4 ,the         
,samaritan ,copy of the                 
,pentateuch4--,in his valuable          
course of lectures on ,bible subjects1  
,elder ,david ,mc,kenzie       presents 
the following1 with references to the   
writings of       ,horne3--,nine hundred
 and seventy years before ,christ1 the  
nation       of ,israel was divided into
 two kingdoms4 ,both retained the same  
book of the law4 ,rivalry prevented     
either of them from altering       or   
adding to the law4 ,after ,israel was   

carried into ,assyria1       other      
nations occupied ,samaria4 ,these       
received the ,pentateuch4       7,,ii   
,kings xvii1 #bf-bh47 ,the language     
being ,hebrew or ,phoenician1           
whereas the ,jewish copy was changed    
into ,chaldee1 corruption or            
alteration was thus made impracticable1 
yet the texts remain       almost       
identical4         #c4 ,versions of the 
,bible or of ,parts ,thereof4--,the     
,septuagint3--,various opinions have    
been put forth to explain       its     
appellation of ,septuagint2 some say    
that ,ptolemy       ,philadelphus       
requested of ,eleazer the ,high ,priest 
a copy of the       ,hebrew scriptures1 
and six learned ,jews from each tribe   
7together       seventy-two71 competent 
to translate it into ,greek2 these were 
shut up in the isle of ,pharos1 and in  
seventy-two days they       completed   
their task3 as they dictated it1        
,demetrius ,phalereus1       the king's 
chief librarian1 transcribed it3 but    

this is now       considered a fable4   
,others say that these same             
interpreters1       having been shut up 
in separate cells1 wrote each one a     
translation2 and so extraordinarily did 
they all coincide       together in     
words as well as sentiment1 that        
evidence was thus       afforded of     
their inspiration by the ,holy ,spirit2 
this opinion       has also been set    
aside as too extravagant4 ,it is very   
possible       that seventy-two writers 
were employed in the translation2 but it
       is more probable that it acquired
 the name of ,septuagint from           
having received the approbation of the  
,jewish ,sanhedrin1 which               
consisted of seventy-two persons4 ,some 
affirm it to have been       executed at
 different times2 and ,horne says it is 
most probable       that this version   
was made during the joint reigns of     
,ptolemy       ,lagus and his son       
,philadelphus1 about #bhe or #bhf ,b4   
,c4         ,the ,vulgate4--,there was a

 very ancient version of the ,bible     
translated from the ,septuagint into    
,latin1 but by whom and when       is   
unknown4 ,it was in general use in the  
time of ,jerome1 and was       called   
the ,itala or ,italic ,version4 ,about  
the close of the       fourth century1  
,jerome began a new translation into    
,latin from       the ,hebrew text1     
which he gradually completed4 ,it at    
last gained       the approbation of    
,pope ,gregory ,i1 and has been used    
ever since       the seventh century4   
,the present ,vulgate1 declared         
authentic by       the ,council of      
,trent in the sixteenth century1 is the 
ancient       ,italic version1 revised  
and improved by the corrections of      
,jerome       and others2 and is the    
only one allowed by the ,church of      
,rome4         ,the ,authorized         
,version4--,certain objections having   
been made       to the ,bishops' ,bible 
at the ,hampton ,court conference in ,a4
 ,d4       #afjc1 ,king ,james ,i       

directed a new translation to be made4  
,forty-seven persons1 eminent for their 
piety and biblical       learning1 were 
chosen to this end2 they were divided   
into six       committees1 two to sit at
 ,oxford1 two at ,cambridge1 and two at 
,westminster2 and each committee had a  
certain portion of the       scriptures 
assigned to it4 ,they began their task  
in ,a4 ,d4 #afjg1       and the whole   
was completed and in print in ,a4 ,d4   
#afaa4 ,this is       called the        
,authorized ,english ,version and is the
 one now in       use4--,from ,analysis 
of ,scripture ,history1 by ,pinnock2 pp4
 #c1       #e2 7#fth ed474         #d4  
,the ,prophetical ,books of the ,old    
,testament are arranged with            
little or no regard to their            
chronological order1 the extent of      
the contained matter placing the larger 
works first4 ,the       chronological   
arrangement would probably be ,jonah1   
,joel1 ,amos1       ,hosea1 ,isaiah1    
,micah1 ,nahum1 ,zephaniah3--all of     

these prophesied       previous to the  
captivity2 then follow ,jeremiah1       
,habakkuk1       ,ezekiel1 and ,daniel1 
who wrote during the captivity2 then    
,haggai1       ,zechariah1 and ,malachi1
 after the return of the ,jews from     
captivity4         #e4 ,manuscript      
,copies of the ,new ,testament4--,three 
manuscripts       of ,new ,testament    
writings now in existence are regarded  
as       authentic4 ,these are known as 
the ,vatican 7now in ,rome71 the        
,alexandrian 7now in ,london71 and the  
,sinaitic 7now in the ,st4              
,petersburg library74 ,the last named or
 ,sinaitic is considered to       be the
 oldest copy of the ,new ,testament in  
existence4 ,the       manuscript was    
discovered in #ahei among the archives  
of a       monastery on ,mount ,sinai1  
hence its name4 ,it was found by        
,tischendorf1 and is now in the imperial
 library at ,st4       ,petersburg4     
#f4 ,concerning the ,genuineness of     
,parts of the ,new                      

,testament4--,in answer to objections   
that have been urged by       critics in
 the matter of genuineness or           
authenticity of certain       books of  
the ,new ,testament1 the following array
 of testimony may       be considered4  
,the items are presented here as        
collated by ,elder       ,david         
,mc,kenzie1 and as used by him in his   
instructive lectures on       the       
,bible4         7,i7 ,the ,four         
,gospels4--#a4 ,matthew4 ,papias1       
,bishop of       ,hierapolis1 was a     
hearer of the ,apostle ,john4 ,with     
respect to ,st4       ,matthew's        
,gospel1 ,eusebius quotes him as        
saying3--,matthew       composed the    
,oracles ,in the ,hebrew tongue1 and    
each one       interpreted them as he   
could4--7,eusebius1 ,hist4 ,eccl4 iii1  
#ci47         #b4 ,mark4 ,of ,mark's    
writing1 ,papias also says3--,mark      
having       become the interpreter of  
,peter1 wrote down accurately everything
       that he remembered1 without1     

however1 recording in order what was    
either said or done by ,christ4 ,for    
neither did he hear the ,lord1       nor
 follow ,him1 but afterward attended    
,peter1 who adapted his                 
instructions to the needs of his        
hearers1 but had no design of           
giving a connected account of the       
,lord's oracles 7or                     
discourses74--7,bishop ,lightfoot's     
translations1 in ,contemporary          
,review1 ,august1 #ahge47         #c4   
,luke4 ,internal evidence shows that    
,luke's ,gospel and the       ,acts of  
the ,apostles were composed by the same 
author4 ,st4 ,paul       speaks of ,luke
 as a physician2 and ,dr4 ,hobart1 in   
#ahhb1 published       at ,london a     
treatise on ,the ,medical ,language of  
,st4 ,luke1 and       points out the    
frequent use of medical terms in ,luke's
 writings1       permeating the entire  
extent of the third ,gospel1 and the    
,acts of       the ,apostles4 ,even ,m4 
,renan makes a similar admission4 ,he   

says3--,one point which is beyond       
question is that the ,acts are       by 
the same author as the third ,gospel1   
and are a continuation of       that    
,gospel4 ,one need not stop to prove    
this proposition1 which       has never 
been seriously contested4 ,the prefaces 
at the       commencement of each work1 
the dedication of each to ,theophilus1  
the perfect resemblance of style and of 
ideas1 furnish on this       point      
abundant demonstrations4 ,a second      
proposition is that the       author of 
the ,acts is a disciple of ,paul1 who   
accompanied him for       a considerable
 part of his travels4--7,m4 ,renan1 ,the
 ,apostles2       see preface47         
#d4 ,john4 ,irenus1 ,bishop of ,lyons1  
about #agg ,a4 ,d41 a pupil of          
,polycarp who was martyred in #aee or   
#aef1 relates in a letter to a          
fellow-pupil his recollections of what  
he had heard ,polycarp say       about  
his intercourse with ,john1 and with the
 rest who had seen       the ,lord2 and 

about the ,lord1 and about ,his         
miracles1 and about       ,his teaching4
 ,all these he would relate altogether  
in accordance       with the            
,scriptures4 7,eusebius1 ,eccl4 ,hist1  
v1 #bj47 ,that       ,irenus meant by   
the ,scriptures1 ,matthew1 ,mark1 ,luke1
 and ,john1       is evident from the   
text4 ,besides1 he urges not only that  
four       ,gospels alone have been     
handed down from the beginning1 but that
       in the nature of things there    
could not be more nor less than         
four4 ,there are four regions in the    
world1 and four principal       winds1  
and the ,church therefore1 as destined  
to be conterminous       with the world1
 must be supported by four ,gospels as  
four       pillars4--7,contemporary     
,review1 ,august1 #ahgf1 p4 #dac47 ,the 
forced       analogy assumed by ,irenus 
between the four ,gospels and       the 
four winds1 etc41 is of course without  
foundation1 and       its use appears   
literally absurd2 nevertheless the fact 

that he       noted it furnishes        
evidence of the acceptance of the four  
,gospels       in his day4--,j4 ,e4 ,t4 
7,,ii7 ,the ,pauline ,epistles4--,the   
following extracts from the             
testimony of the ,tbingen critics on    
four of ,paul's epistles1 are           
instructive4         ,de ,wette says1 in
 his introduction to the ,books of the  
,new       ,testament 7#abc1 a473--,the 
letters of ,paul bear the marks of his  
powerful genius4 ,the most important of 
them are raised above all               
contradiction as to their authenticity2 
they form the solid       kernel of the 
book of the ,new ,testament4            
,baur says1 in his ,apostle ,paul 7#a1  
#h73--,not only has no       suspicion  
of the authenticity of these ,epistles  
even arisen1 but       they bear so     
incontestably the seal of the           
originality of ,paul1       that one    
cannot comprehend for what reason       
critics could raise       any objection 
to them4         ,weizsker writes       

7,apost4 ,zeitalter1 #ahff1 p4          
#aij73--,the letters       to the       
,galatians and the ,corinthians are1    
without doubt1 from the       hand of   
the ,apostle2 from his hand also came   
incontestably the       ,epistle to the 
,romans4         ,holtzmann says        
7,einleit in's ,n4 ,t41 p4              
#bbd73--,these four       ,epistles are 
the ,pauline ,homologoumena 7books      
universally       received7 in the      
modern acceptation of the word4 ,we can 
realize1       with respect to them1 the
 proof of authenticity undertaken by    
,paley against the free-thinkers of his 
time4         ,m4 ,renan in ,the        
,gospels 7pp4 #dj1 #da71 thus expresses 
himself3--,the epistles of ,paul have an
 unequaled advantage in       this      
history--that is1 their absolute        
authenticity4 ,of the       ,epistles to
 the ,corinthians1 the ,galatians1 and  
the ,romans1 ,renan       speaks as     
indisputable and undisputed2 and adds1  
,the most       severe critics1 such as 

,christian ,baur1 accept them without   
objection4         #g4 ,archeological   
,evidence ,confirming the               
,bible4--,prof4 ,a4 ,h4       ,sayce1   
,m4 ,a41 sums up his learned treatise on
 the testimony of       the ancient     
monuments1 thus3--,the critical         
objections to the       truth of the    
,old ,testament1 once drawn from the    
armory of ,greek       and ,latin       
writers1 can never be urged again2 they 
have been met       and overthrown once 
for all4 ,the answers to them have come 
from       papyrus and clay and stone1  
from the tombs of ancient ,egypt1 from  
the mounds of ,babylonia1 and from the  
ruined palaces of the       ,assyrian   
kings4         #h4 ,missing             
,scripture4--,those who oppose the      
doctrine of       continual revelation  
between ,god and ,his ,church1 on the   
ground       that the ,bible is complete
 as a collection of sacred scriptures1  
and that alleged revelation not found   
therein must therefore be               

spurious1 may profitably take note of   
the many books not included       in the
 ,bible1 yet mentioned therein1         
generally in such a way as       to     
leave no doubt that they were once      
regarded as authentic4       ,among     
these extra-biblical scriptures1 the    
following may be       named2 some of   
them are in existence to-day1 and are   
classed with       the ,apocrypha2 but  
the greater number are unknown4 ,we read
 of the       ,book of the ,covenant    
7,exo4 xxiv1 #g72 ,book of the ,wars of 
the ,lord       7,numb4 xxi1 #ad72 ,book
 of ,jasher 7,josh4 x1 #ac72 ,book of   
the       ,statutes 7,i ,sam4 x1 #be72  
,book of ,enoch 7,jude #ad72 ,book of   
the       ,acts of ,solomon 7,i ,kings  
xi1 #da72 ,book of ,nathan the ,prophet1
 and       that of ,gad the ,seer 7,i   
,chron4 xxix1 #bi72 ,book of ,ahijah the
       ,shilonite1 and visions of ,iddo1
 the ,seer 7,,ii ,chron4 ix1 #bi72 ,book
       of ,shemaiah 7,,ii ,chron4 xii1  
#ae72 ,story of the ,prophet ,iddo 7,,ii

       ,chron4 xiii1 #bb72 ,book of     
,jehu 7,,ii ,chron4 xx1 #cd72 the ,acts 
of       ,uzziah1 by ,isaiah1 the son of
 ,amoz 7,,ii ,chron4 xxvi1 #bb72        
,sayings       of the ,seers 7,,ii      
,chron4 xxxiii1 #ai72 a missing epistle 
of ,paul to       the ,corinthians 7,i  
,cor4 v1 #i72 a missing epistle to the  
,ephesians       7,eph4 iii1 #c72       
missing epistle to the ,colossians1     
written from       ,laodicea 7,col4 iv1 
#af72 a missing epistle of ,jude 7,jude 
#c72 a       declaration of belief      
mentioned by ,luke 7i1 #a74             
,,lecture ,,xiv4    ,,the ,,book ,,of   
,,mormon4         ,article #h4--444 ,we 
also believe the ,book of ,mormon to be 
the       word of ,god4                 
,,description ,,and ,,origin4    #a4    
,what is the ,book of ,mormon8--,the    
claims made for the ,book of  ,mormon   
affirm it to be a divinely inspired     
record1 made by the  prophets of the    
ancient peoples who inhabited the       
,american continent  for centuries      

before and immediately after the time of
 ,christ2 which  record has been        
translated in the present generation    
through the gift  of ,god and by ,his   
special appointment4 ,the authorized and
 inspired  translator of these sacred   
scriptures1 through whose               
instrumentality  they have been given to
 the world in modern language1 is       
,joseph ,smith1  whose first            
acquaintance with the plates was        
mentioned in the first  lecture4#gfh ,as
 stated1 on the #bast of ,september1    
#ahbc1 ,joseph ,smith  received1 in     
answer to fervent prayer1 a visitation  
from an angelic  personage1 who gave his
 name as ,moroni2 subsequent revelations
 showed  him to be the last of a long   
line of prophets whose translated       
writings constitute the ,book of        
,mormon2 by him the ancient records had 
been closed2 by him the graven plates   
had been deposited in the earth2  and   
through his ministration they were      
brought into the possession of  the     

modern prophet and seer whose work of   
translation is now before  us4      #gfh
 ,see pages #aj1 #ag4    #b4 ,on the    
occasion of ,moroni's first visit to    
,joseph ,smith1 the  angelic visitor    
declared the existence of the record1   
which1 he said1  was engraved on plates 
of gold1 at that time lying buried in   
the side  of a hill near ,joseph's home4
 ,the hill1 which was known by one      
division of the ancient peoples as      
,cumorah1 by another as ,ramah1 is      
situated near ,palmyra in the county of 
,wayne1 ,state of ,new ,york4 ,the      
precise spot where the plates lay was   
shown to ,joseph in vision2 and  he had 
no difficulty in finding it on the day  
following the visitation  referred to4  
,joseph's statement of ,moroni's        
declaration concerning the  plates is as
 follows3--,he said there was a book    
deposited1 written  upon gold plates1   
giving an account of the former         
inhabitants of this  continent1 and the 
source from which they sprang4 ,he also 

said that  the fulness of the           
everlasting gospel was contained in it1 
as  delivered by the ,savior to the     
ancient inhabitants4 ,also1 that there  
were two stones in silver bows1 7and    
these stones1 fastened to a             
breastplate1 constituted what is called 
the ,urim and ,thummim71  deposited with
 the plates2 and the possession and use 
of these stones  was what constituted   
,seers in ancient or former times2 and  
that ,god  had prepared them for the    
purpose of translating the book4#gfi    
#gfi ,pearl of ,great ,price3 ,extr4    
,hist4 of ,joseph ,smith1 #cd-ce4    #c4
 ,joseph found a large stone at the     
indicated spot on the hill  ,cumorah2   
beneath the stone was a box1 also of    
stone2 the lid of this  he raised by    
means of a lever2 then he saw within the
 box the plates1  and the breastplate   
with the ,urim and ,thummim1 as         
described by the  angel4 ,as he was     
about to remove the contents of the box1
 ,moroni again  appeared before him1 and

 forbade him taking the sacred things at
 that  time1 saying that four years must
 pass before they would be committed  to
 his personal care2 and that1 in the    
meantime1 ,joseph would be  required to 
visit the place at yearly intervals2    
this the youthful  revelator did1       
receiving on each occasion additional   
instruction  concerning the record and  
,god's purposes with it4 ,on the #bbnd  
of  ,september1 #ahbg1 ,joseph received 
from the angel ,moroni the plates and   
the ,urim and ,thummim with the         
breastplate4 ,he was instructed to guard
  them with strict care1 and was        
promised that if he used his best       
efforts to protect them they would be   
preserved inviolate in his  hands2 and  
that on the completion of the labor of  
translation1 ,moroni  would visit him   
again1 and receive the plates4    #d4   
,the reason prompting the angelic       
caution regarding ,joseph's care  of the
 treasures soon appeared2 thrice in the 
course of his short  journey homeward   

with the sacred relics1 he was attacked2
 but by  ,divine aid he was enabled to  
withstand his assailants and finally    
reached his home with the plates and    
other articles unharmed4 ,these  attacks
 were but the beginning of a siege of   
persecution which was  relentlessly     
waged against him by the powers of evil 
as long as the  plates remained in his  
custody4 ,news that he had the golden   
record in  his possession soon spread2  
and numerous attempts1 many of them     
violent1 were made to wrest the plates  
from his hands4 ,but they were          
preserved2 and1 slowly1 with many       
hindrances incident to persecution  by  
the wicked1 and to the conditions of his
 own poverty which made it  necessary   
for him to toil and left little leisure 
for the appointed  labor1 ,joseph       
proceeded with the translation2 and in  
#ahcj the ,book of  ,mormon was first   
published to the world4    #e4 ,the     
,title ,page of the ,book of            
,mormon4--,our best answer to the       

question3 ,what is the ,book of ,mormon8
 is found on the title page to  the     
volume4 ,thereon we read3         ,the  
,book of ,mormon3 an account written by 
the hand of ,mormon1       upon plates  
taken from the plates of ,nephi4        
,wherefore it is an       abridgment of 
the record of the people of ,nephi1 and 
also of the       ,lamanites2 written to
 the ,lamanites who are a remnant of the
       house of ,israel2 and also to    
,jew and ,gentile3 written by way of    
commandment1 and also by the spirit of  
prophecy and of       revelation4       
,written and sealed up1 and hid up unto 
the ,lord1 that       they might not be 
destroyed2 to come forth by the gift and
 power       of ,god unto the           
interpretation thereof3 sealed by the   
hand of       ,moroni1 and hid up unto  
the ,lord1 to come forth in due time by 
the way of ,gentile2 the interpretation 
thereof by the gift of       ,god4      
,an abridgment taken from the book of   
,ether also2 which is a       record of 

the people of ,jared2 who were scattered
 at the time the       ,lord confounded 
the language of the people when they    
were       building a tower to get to   
heaven2 which is to show unto the       
remnant of the ,house of ,israel what   
great things the ,lord hath       done  
for their fathers2 and that they may    
know the covenants of       the ,lord1  
that they are not cast off forever2 and 
also to the       convincing of the ,jew
 and ,gentile that ,jesus is the        
,christ1 the       ,eternal ,god1       
manifesting ,himself unto all nations4  
,and now1 if       there are faults1    
they are the mistakes of men3 wherefore 
condemn       not the things of ,god1   
that ye may be found spotless at the    
judgment seat of ,christ4    ,this      
combined title and preface is a         
translation from the last page of  the  
plates1 and was presumably written by   
,moroni1 who1 as before  stated1 sealed 
and hid up the book in former days4#ggj 
#ggj ,see ,note #a4    #f4 ,main        

,divisions of the ,book4--,from the     
title page1 we learn that  in the ,book 
of ,mormon we have to deal with the     
histories of two great  nations1 who    
flourished in ,america as the           
descendants of small  colonies brought  
hither from the eastern continent by    
,divine  direction4 ,of these we may    
conveniently speak as the ,nephites and 
the  ,jaredites4    #g4 ,the ,nephite   
,nation was the later1 and in point of  
the fulness of  the records1 the more   
important4 ,the progenitors of this     
nation were  led from ,jerusalem #fjj   
,b4 ,c41 by ,lehi1 a ,jewish prophet of 
the tribe  of ,manasseh4 ,his immediate 
family1 at the time of their departure  
from  ,jerusalem1 comprised his wife    
,sariah1 and their sons ,laman1 ,lemuel1
  ,sam1 and ,nephi2 at a later stage of 
the history1 daughters are  mentioned1  
but whether any of these were born      
before the family exodus  we are not    
told4 ,beside his own family1 the colony
 of ,lehi included  ,zoram and ,ishmael1

 the latter an ,israelite of the tribe  
of ,ephraim4  ,ishmael1 with his family1
 joined ,lehi in the wilderness2 and his
  descendants were numbered with the    
nation of whom we are speaking4 ,the    
company journeyed somewhat east of      
south1 keeping near the borders of  the 
,red ,sea2 then1 changing their course  
to the eastward1 crossed the  peninsula 
of ,arabia2 and there1 on the shores of 
the ,arabian ,sea1  built and           
provisioned a vessel in which they      
committed themselves to  ,divine care   
upon the waters4 ,their voyage carried  
them eastward across  the ,indian       
,ocean1 then over the south ,pacific    
,ocean to the western  coast of ,south  
,america1 whereon they landed 7#eij ,b4 
,c474 ,the landing  place is not        
described with such detail as to warrant
 definite  conclusions4    #h4 ,the     
people established themselves on what to
 them was the land of  promise2 many    
children were born1 and in the course of
 a few  generations a numerous posterity

 held possession of the land4 ,after    
the death of ,lehi1 a division occurred1
 some of the people accepting  as their 
leader ,nephi1 who had been duly        
appointed to the prophetic  office2     
while the rest proclaimed ,laman1 the   
eldest of ,lehi's sons1 as  their chief4
 ,henceforth the divided people were    
known as ,nephites and  ,lamanites      
respectively4 ,at times they observed   
toward each other  fairly friendly      
relations2 but generally they were      
opposed1 the  ,lamanites manifesting    
implacable hatred and hostility toward  
their  ,nephite kindred4 ,the ,nephites 
advanced in the arts of civilization1   
built large cities1 and established     
prosperous commonwealths2 yet they      
often fell into transgression2 and the  
,lord chastened them by  permitting     
their foes to be victorious4 ,they      
spread northward1  occupying the        
northern part of ,south ,america2 then1 
crossing the  ,isthmus1 they extended   
their domain over the southern1 central1

 and  eastern portions of what is now   
the ,united ,states of ,america4 ,the   
,lamanites1 while increasing in numbers1
 fell under the curse of  darkness2 they
 became dark in skin and benighted in   
spirit1 forgot the  ,god of their       
fathers1 lived a wild nomadic life1 and 
degenerated into  the fallen state in   
which the ,american ,indians1--their    
lineal  descendants1--were found by     
those who re-discovered the western     
continent in later times4    #i4 ,the   
final struggles between ,nephites and   
,lamanites were waged in  the vicinity  
of the hill ,cumorah1 in what is now the
 state of ,new  ,york1 resulting in the 
entire destruction of the ,nephites1    
about #djj  ,a4 ,d4 ,the last ,nephite  
representative was ,moroni1 who1        
wandering for  safety from place to     
place1 daily expecting death from the   
victorious  ,lamanites1 who had decreed 
the absolute extinction of their white  
kindred1 wrote the concluding parts of  
the ,book of ,mormon1 hid the  record in

 ,cumorah1 and soon thereafter died4 ,it
 was this same ,moroni  who1 as a       
resurrected being1 gave the records into
 the hands of ,joseph  ,smith in the    
present dispensation4    #aj4 ,the      
,jaredite ,nation4--,of the two nations 
whose histories  constitute the ,book of
 ,mormon1 the first in order of time    
consisted of  the people of ,jared1 who 
followed their leader from the ,tower of
 ,babel  at the time of the confusion of
 tongues4 ,their history was written on 
twenty-four plates of gold by ,ether1   
the last of their prophets1 who1        
fore-seeing the destruction of his      
people because of their wickedness1  hid
 away the historical plates4 ,they were 
afterward found1 ,b4 ,c4 #abc1  by an   
expedition sent out by ,king ,limhi1 a  
,nephite ruler4 ,the record  engraved on
 these plates was subsequently abridged 
by ,moroni1 and the  condensed account  
was attached by him to the ,book of     
,mormon record2  it appears in the      
modern translation under the name of the

 ,book of  ,ether4    #aa4 ,the first   
and chief prophet of the ,jaredites is  
not mentioned by  name in the record as 
we have it2 he is known only as the     
brother of  ,jared4 ,of the people1 we  
learn that1 amid the confusion of       
,babel1  ,jared and his brother         
importuned the ,lord that ,he would     
spare them and  their associates from   
the impending disruption4 ,their prayer 
was  heard1 and the ,lord led them with 
a considerable company1 who1 like       
themselves1 were free from the taint of 
idolatry1 away from their  homes1       
promising to conduct them to a land     
choice above all other  lands4 ,their   
course of travel is not given with      
exactness2 we learn  only that they     
reached the ocean1 and there constructed
 eight vessels1  called barges1 in which
 they set out upon the waters4 ,these   
vessels  were small and dark within2 but
 the ,lord made luminous certain stones1
  which gave light to the imprisoned    
voyagers4 ,after a passage of three     

hundred and forty-four days1 the colony 
landed on the western shore of  ,north  
,america1 possibly south of the ,gulf of
 ,california1 and north of  the ,isthmus
 of ,panama4    #ab4 ,here they became a
 flourishing nation2 but1 giving way in 
time  to internal dissensions1 they     
divided into factions1 which warred with
  one another until the people were     
totally destroyed4 ,this destruction1   
which occurred near the hill ,ramah1    
afterward known among the ,nephites  as 
,cumorah1 probably took place at about  
the time of ,lehi's landing in  ,south  
,america1--#eij ,b4 ,c4 ,the last       
representative of the ill-fated  race   
was ,coriantumr1 the former king1       
concerning whom ,ether had  prophesied  
that he should survive all his subjects1
 and live to see  another people in     
possession of the land4 ,this prediction
 was  fulfilled in that the king1 whose 
people had become extinct1 came1 in  the
 course of his solitary wanderings1 to a
 region occupied by the  people of      

,mulek1 who are to be mentioned here as 
the third ancient  colony of emigrants  
from the eastern continent4    #ac4     
,mulek1 we are told1 was the son of     
,zedekiah1 king of ,judah1 an  infant at
 the time of his brothers' violent      
deaths and his father's  cruel torture  
at the hands of the king of             
,babylon4#gga ,eleven years  after      
,lehi's departure from ,jerusalem1      
another colony was led from the  city1  
amongst whom was ,mulek4 ,his name has  
been given to the people1  probably on  
account of his recognized rights of     
leadership by virtue  of his lineage4   
,the ,book of ,mormon record concerning 
,mulek and his  people is scant2 we     
learn1 however1 that the colony was     
brought across  the waters1 to a landing
 on the northern part of the continent4 
,the  descendants of this colony were   
discovered by the ,nephites under       
,mosiah2 they had grown numerous1 but1  
having had no scriptures for  their     
guidance1 had fallen into a condition of

 spiritual darkness4  ,they joined the  
,nephites1 and their history is merged  
into that of the  greater nation4#ggb   
,the ,nephites gave to ,north ,america  
the name ,land  of ,mulek4      #gga    
,see ,,ii ,kings xxv1 #g4      #ggb     
,omni i1 #ab-ai4      ,,the ,,ancient   
,,plates ,,and ,,the ,,modern           
,,translation4    #ad4 ,the ,plates of  
the ,book of ,mormon as delivered by the
 angel  ,moroni to ,joseph ,smith1      
according to the description given by   
the  modern prophet1 were of gold1 of   
uniform size1 each about seven inches   
wide by eight inches long2 in thickness 
a little less than ordinary  sheet tin2 
they were fastened together by three    
rings running through  the plates near  
one edge2 together they formed a book   
nearly six  inches in thickness1 but not
 all has been translated1 a part being  
sealed4 ,both sides of the plates were  
engraved with small and  beautiful      
characters1 described by those who      
examined them as of  curious            

workmanship1 with the appearance of     
ancient origin4    #ae4 ,three classes  
of plates are mentioned on the title    
page of the  ,book of ,mormon1 viz3--   
7#a47 ,the ,plates of ,nephi1 which1 as 
will be shown1 were of two  kinds3--7a7 
the larger plates2 7b7 the smaller      
plates4    7#b47 ,the ,plates of        
,mormon1 containing an abridgment from  
the plates  of ,nephi1 with additions   
made by ,mormon and his son ,moroni4    
7#c47 ,the ,plates of ,ether1           
containing1 as we have seen1 the history
  of the ,jaredites4    ,to these may be
 added another set of plates1 as being  
mentioned in the  ,book of ,mormon1 viz3
    7#d47 ,the ,brass ,plates of ,laban1
 brought by ,lehi's people from         
,jerusalem1 and containing ,jewish      
scriptures and genealogies1 many        
extracts from which appear in the       
,nephite records4 ,we have now to       
consider more particularly the plates of
 ,nephi1 and ,mormon's  abridgment      
thereof4    #af4 ,the ,plates of ,nephi 

are so named from the fact that they    
were  prepared1 and their record was    
begun1 by ,nephi1 the son of ,lehi4     
,these  plates were of two kinds1#ggc   
which may be distinguished as the       
larger plates and the smaller plates4   
,nephi began his labors as a  recorder  
by engraving on plates of gold a        
historical account of his  people1 from 
the time his father left ,jerusalem4    
,this account recited  the story of     
their wanderings1 their prosperity and  
their distress1  the reigns of their    
kings1 and the wars and contentions of  
the people2  the record was in the      
nature of a secular history4 ,these     
plates were  handed from one recorder to
 another throughout the generations of  
the  ,nephite people2 so that1 at the   
time they were abridged by ,mormon1 the 
record covered a period of about a      
thousand years1 dating from #fjj ,b4    
,c41 the time of ,lehi's exodus from    
,jerusalem4 ,although these plates  bore
 the name of their maker1 who was also  

the first of the writers1  the separate 
work of each recorder is known in       
general by his specific  name1 so that  
the record is made up of many distinct  
books4      #ggc ,i ,nephi ix2 xix1     
#a-e2 ,,ii ,nephi v1 #cj2 ,jacob i1     
#a-d2 ,words of    ,mormon i1 #c-g4     
#ag4 ,by command of the ,lord1 ,nephi   
made other plates1 upon which he        
recorded particularly the ecclesiastical
 history of his people1 citing  only    
such instances of other events as seemed
 necessary to the proper  sequence of   
the narrative4 ,i have received a       
commandment of the  ,lord1 says ,nephi1 
that ,i should make these plates for the
 special  purpose that there should be  
an account engraven of the ministry of  
my  people4#ggd ,the object of this     
double line of history was unknown to   
,nephi1 it was enough for him that the  
,lord required the labor2 that it  was  
for a wise purpose will be shown4       
#ggd ,i ,nephi ix1 #c4    #ah4 ,mormon's
 ,abridgment4--,in the course of time   

the records that had  accumulated as the
 history of the people grew fell into   
the hands of  ,mormon2#gge and he       
undertook to make an abridgment of these
 extensive  works1 upon plates made with
 his own hands4#ggf ,by such a course1 a
  record was prepared more concise and  
more nearly uniform in style1  language1
 and treatment than could possibly be   
the case with the  varied writings of so
 many authors as had contributed to the 
great  history during the thousand years
 of its growth4 ,mormon recognizes and  
testifies to the inspiration of ,god by 
which he was moved to undertake  the    
great labor4#ggg ,in preparing this     
shorter history1 ,mormon  preserved the 
division of the record into books       
according to the  arrangement of the    
originals2 and thus1 though the language
 may be  that of ,mormon1 except in     
cases of quotations from the plates of  
,nephi1 which are indeed numerous1 we   
find the ,books of ,nephi1 the ,book  of
 ,alma1 the ,book of ,helaman1 etc41 the

 form of speech known as the  first     
person being generally preserved4       
#gge ,words of ,mormon i1 #aa2 ,mormon  
i1 #a-d2 iv1 #bc4      #ggf ,,iii ,nephi
 v1 #h-aa4      #ggg ,,iii ,nephi v1    
#ad-ai4    #ai4 ,when ,mormon1 in the   
course of his abridgment1 had reached   
the  time of ,king ,benjamin's reign1 he
 was deeply impressed with the record   
engraved on the smaller plates of       
,nephi1--the history of ,god's  dealings
 with the people during the period of   
about four centuries1  extending from   
the time of ,lehi's exodus from         
,jerusalem down to the  time of ,king   
,benjamin4 ,this record1 comprising so  
much of prophecy  concerning the mission
 of the ,savior1 was regarded by ,mormon
 with more  than ordinary favor4 ,of    
these plates he attempted no transcript1
 but  included the originals with his   
own abridgment of the larger plates1    
making of the two one book4 ,the record 
as compiled by ,mormon  contained1      
therefore1 a double account of the      

descendants of ,lehi for  the first four
 hundred years of their history1--the   
brief secular  history condensed from   
the larger plates1 and the full text on 
the  smaller plates4 ,in solemn         
language1 and with an emphasis which    
subsequent events have shown to be      
significant1 ,mormon declares the       
hidden wisdom of the ,divine purpose in 
this duplication3--,and ,i do  this for 
a wise purpose2 for thus it whispereth  
me1 according to the  workings of the   
,spirit of the ,lord which is in me4    
,and now1 ,i do not  know all things2   
but the ,lord knoweth all things which  
are to come2  wherefore1 he worketh in  
me to do according to his will4#ggh     
#ggh ,words of ,mormon i1 #g4    #bj4   
,the ,lord's ,purpose in the matter of  
preparing and of preserving  the smaller
 plates as testified of by ,mormon1 and 
also by ,nephi1#ggi  is rendered plain  
from certain circumstances in this      
dispensation  attending the translation 
of the records by ,joseph ,smith4 ,when 

the  prophet had prepared a translation 
of the first part of the writings  of   
,mormon1 the manuscript was won from his
 care through the  unrighteous          
solicitations of ,martin ,harris1 to    
whom he considered  himself in a degree 
indebted for financial assistance in the
 work of  publication4 ,this manuscript1
 in all #aaf pages1 was never returned  
to  ,joseph2 but1 through the dark      
schemes of evil powers1 it fell into the
  hands of enemies1 who straightway laid
 a wicked plan to ridicule the          
translator and thwart the purposes of   
,god4 ,this evil design was that  they  
wait until ,joseph had re-translated the
 missing matter1 when the  stolen       
manuscript1 which in the meantime had   
been altered so that the  words were    
made to express the contrary from the   
true record1 would be  set forth as a   
proof that the prophet was unable to    
translate the same  passages twice      
alike4 ,but the ,lord's wisdom          
interposed to bring to  naught these    

dark designs4      #ggi ,i ,nephi ix1   
#e4    #ba4 ,having chastened the       
prophet by depriving him for a season of
  his gift to translate1 as also of the 
custody of the sacred records1  and this
 for his dereliction in permitting the  
writings to pass into  unappointed      
hands1 the ,lord graciously restored    
,his penitent servant  to favor1 and    
revealed to him the designs of his      
enemies2#ghj at the  same time showing  
how these evil machinations should be   
made to fail4  ,joseph was instructed1  
therefore1 not to attempt a             
re-translation of  that part of         
,mormon's abridgment1 the first         
translation of which had  been stolen2  
but instead1 to translate the record of 
the same events  from the plates of     
,nephi1--the set of smaller plates which
 ,mormon had  incorporated with his own 
writings4 ,the translation so made was  
therefore published as the record of    
,nephi1 and not as the writing of       
,mormon2 and thus no second translation 

was made of the parts from  which the   
stolen manuscript had been prepared4    
#ghj ,doctrine and ,covenants1 x4       
#bb4 ,the ,translation of the ,book of  
,mormon was effected through the  power 
of ,god manifested in the bestowal of   
the gift of revelation4 ,the  book      
professes not to be dependent upon the  
wisdom or learning of man2  its         
translator was not versed in            
linguistics2 his qualifications were  of
 a different and of a far more efficient
 order4 ,with the plates1  ,joseph      
,smith received from the angel other    
sacred treasures1 including  a          
breastplate1 to which were attached the 
,urim and ,thummim1#gha  called by the  
,nephites ,interpreters2 and by the use 
of these he was  enabled to render the  
ancient records in our modern tongue4   
,the  details of the work of translation
 have not been authentically  recorded  
beyond the statement that the translator
 examined the  engraved characters by   
means of the sacred instruments1 and    

then  dictated to the scribe the        
,english sentences4      #gha ,doc4 and 
,cov4 x4 #a2 xvii1 #a2 cxxx1 #h1 #i2    
,mos4 viii1 #ac-ai2    ,ether iii1      
#bc-bh4    #bc4 ,joseph began his work  
with the plates by patiently copying a  
number of characters1 adding to some of 
the pages thus prepared the             
translations4 ,the prophet's first      
assistant in the labor1 ,martin         
,harris1 obtained permission to take    
away some of these transcripts1  with   
the purpose of submitting them to the   
examination of men learned  in ancient  
languages4 ,he placed some of the sheets
 before ,professor  ,charles ,anthon1 of
 ,columbia ,college1 who1 after careful 
examination1  certified that the        
characters were in general of the       
ancient ,egyptian  order1 and that the  
accompanying translations appeared to be
 correct4  ,hearing how this ancient    
record came into ,joseph's hands1       
,professor  ,anthon requested ,mr4      
,harris to bring the original book for  

examination1 stating that he would      
undertake the translation of the  entire
 work2 then1 learning that a part of the
 book was sealed1 he  remarked1 ,i      
cannot read a sealed book2 and thus     
unwittingly did this  man fulfill the   
prophecy of ,isaiah concerning the      
coming forth of the  volume3--,and the  
vision of all is become unto you as the 
words of a  book that is sealed1 which  
men deliver to one that is learned1     
saying1  read this1 ,i pray thee1 and he
 saith1 ,i cannot1 for it is            
sealed4#ghb ,another linguist1 a ,dr4   
,mitchell1 of ,new ,york1 having        
examined the characters1 gave concerning
 them a testimony in all  important     
respects corresponding to that of ,prof4
 ,anthon4      #ghb ,isaiah xxix1 #aa4  
#bd4 ,arrangement of the ,book of       
,mormon4--,the ,book of ,mormon         
comprises  fifteen separate parts1      
commonly called books1 distinguished by 
the  names of their principal authors4  
,of these1 the first six books1 viz41   

,i and ,,ii ,nephi1 ,jacob1 ,enos1      
,jarom1 and ,omni1 are literal          
translations  from corresponding        
portions of the smaller plates of       
,nephi4 ,the body  of the volume1 from  
the ,book of ,mosiah to ,mormon1 chapter
 vii1  inclusive1 is the translation of 
,mormon's abridgment of the larger      
plates of ,nephi4 ,between the books of 
,omni and ,mosiah ,the ,words of        
,mormon occur1 connecting the record of 
,nephi1 as engraved on the  smaller     
plates1 with ,mormon's abridgment of the
 larger plates for the  periods         
following4 ,the ,words of ,mormon may be
 regarded as a brief  explanation of the
 preceding portions of the work1 and a  
preface of  the parts then to follow4   
,the last part of the ,book of ,mormon1 
from  the beginning of ,mormon viii to  
the end of the volume1 is in the        
language of ,moroni1 the son of ,mormon1
 who first proceeds to finish  the      
record of his father1 and then adds an  
abridgment of a set of  plates which    

contained an account of the ,jaredites2 
this appears as  the ,book of           
,ether4#ghc      #ghc ,see page #bff4   
#be4 ,at the time of ,moroni's writing  
he stood alone1--the sole  surviving    
representative of his people4 ,the last 
of the terrible wars  between ,nephites 
and ,lamanites had resulted in the      
annihilation of the  former as a people2
 and ,moroni supposed that his          
abridgment of the  ,book of ,ether would
 be his last literary work2 but1 finding
 himself  miraculously preserved at the 
conclusion of that undertaking1 he added
  the parts known to us as the ,book of 
,moroni1 containing accounts of  the    
ceremonies of ordination1 baptism1      
administration of the  sacrament1 etc41 
and a record of certain utterances and  
writings of  his father ,mormon4        
,,the ,,genuineness ,,of ,,the ,,book   
,,of ,,mormon4    #bf4 ,the earnest     
student of the ,book of ,mormon will be 
most concerned  in his consideration of 
the reliability of the great record2 and

 this  subject may be conveniently      
considered under two headings3 #ast1 the
  genuineness and integrity of the ,book
 of ,mormon1 i4 e41 the evidence  that  
the book is what it professes to be1--an
 actual translation of  ancient records2
 #bnd1 the authenticity of the original 
writings1 as  shown by internal and     
external evidence4    #bg4 ,the         
,genuineness of the ,book will appear to
 anyone who undertakes  an impartial    
investigation into the circumstances    
attending its coming  forth4 ,the many  
so-called theories of its origin1       
advanced by  prejudiced opponents to the
 work of ,god1 are in general too       
inconsistent1 and in most instances too 
thoroughly puerile1 to merit  serious   
consideration4 ,such fancies as are set 
forth in  representations of the ,book  
of ,mormon as the production of a single
  author or of men working in collusion1
 as a work of fiction1 or in any  manner
 as a modern composition1 are their own 
refutation4#ghd ,the  sacred character  

of the plates forbade their display as a
 means of  gratifying personal          
curiosity2 nevertheless a number of     
reputable  witnesses examined them1 and 
these men have given to the world their 
solemn testimony of the fact4 ,in ,june1
 #ahbi1 the prophecies respecting  the  
witnesses by whose testimony the word of
 ,god as set forth in the  ,book of     
,mormon was to be established1#ghe saw  
its fulfillment in a  manifestation of  
,divine power1 demonstrating the        
genuineness of the  record to three men1
 whose affirmations accompany all       
editions of the  book4      #ghd ,see   
,note #b4      #ghe ,,ii ,nephi xi1 #c2 
xxvii1 #ab-ac2 ,ether v1 #c-d2 see also 
,doc4    and ,cov4 v1 #aa-ae2 xvii1     
#a-i4    #bh4 ,the ,testimony of ,three 
,witnesses4--,be it known unto all      
nations1  kindreds1 tongues1 and people 
unto whom this work shall come1 that we1
  through the grace of ,god the ,father1
 and our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 have     
seen the plates which contain this      

record1 which is a record of the  people
 of ,nephi1 and also of the ,lamanites1 
their brethren1 and also  of the people 
of ,jared1 who came from the tower of   
which hath been  spoken2 and we also    
know that they have been translated by  
the gift  and power of ,god1 for his    
voice hath declared it unto us1#ghf     
wherefore we know of a surety that the  
work is true4 ,and we also  testify that
 we have seen the engravings#ghg which  
are upon the  plates2 and they have been
 shown unto us by the power of ,god1 and
 not  of man4 ,and we declare with words
 of soberness1 that an angel of ,god    
came down from heaven#ghh and he brought
 and laid before our eyes1  that we     
beheld and saw the plates1 and the      
engravings thereon2 and we  know that it
 is by the grace of ,god the ,father1   
and our ,lord ,jesus  ,christ1 that we  
beheld and bear record that these things
 are true2 and  it is marvelous in our  
eyes1 nevertheless the voice of the     
,lord  commanded us that we should bear 

record of it2 wherefore1 to be  obedient
 unto the commandments of ,god1 we bear 
testimony of these  things4 ,and we know
 that if we are faithful in ,christ1 we 
shall rid  our garments of the blood of 
all men1 and be found spotless before   
the  judgment-seat of ,christ1 and shall
 dwell with him eternally in the        
heavens4 ,and the honor be to the       
,father1 and to the ,son1 and to the    
,holy ,ghost1 which is one ,god4 ,amen4 
,,oliver ,,cowdery1    ,,david          
,,whitmer1    ,,martin ,,harris4        
#ghf ,doc4 and ,cov4 xvii1 #f2 xx1 #h4  
#ghg ,,ii ,nephi v1 #cb2 ,alma lxiii1   
#ab2 ,mormon i1 #c4      #ghh ,see      
,history of ,joseph ,smith1 ,june1      
#ahbi4    #bi4 ,the testimony so        
declared was never revoked1 nor even    
modified  by any one of the witnesses   
whose names are subscribed to the       
foregoing1#ghi though all of them       
withdrew from the ,church1 and          
developed feelings amounting almost to  
hatred toward ,joseph ,smith4 ,to  the  

last of their lives1 they maintained the
 same solemn declaration  of the angelic
 visit1 and of the testimony that had   
been implanted in  their hearts4        
,shortly after the witnessing of the    
plates by the three1  other eight       
persons were permitted to see and handle
 the ancient  records2 and in this also 
was prophecy fulfilled1 in that it was  
of  old declared1 that beside the three1
 ,god sendeth more witnesses1#gij  whose
 testimony would be added to that of the
 three4 ,it was presumably  in ,july1   
#ahbi1 that ,joseph ,smith showed the   
plates to the eight whose  names are    
attached to the following certificate4  
#cj4 ,the ,testimony of ,eight          
,witnesses4--,be it known unto all      
nations1  kindreds1 tongues1 and people 
unto whom this work shall come1 that    
,joseph ,smith1 ,jun41 the translator of
 this work1 has shown unto us the       
plates of which hath been spoken1 which 
have the appearance of gold2  and as    
many of the leaves as the said ,smith   

has translated1 we did  handle with our 
hands2 and we also saw the engravings   
thereon1 all of  which has the          
appearance of ancient work1 and of      
curious workmanship4  ,and this we bear 
record with words of soberness1 that the
 said ,smith  has shown unto us1 for we 
have seen and hefted1 and know of a     
surety  that the said ,smith has got the
 plates of which we have spoken4 ,and we
  give our names unto the world1 to     
witness unto the world that which we    
have seen2 and we lie not1 ,god bearing 
witness of it4      ,,christian         
,,whitmer1    ,,jacob ,,whitmer1        
,,peter ,,whitmer1 ,,jun41    ,,john    
,,whitmer1    ,,hiram ,,page1           
,,joseph ,,smith1 ,,sen41    ,,hyrum    
,,smith1    ,,samuel ,h4 ,,smith4       
#ghi ,see ,note #c4      #gij ,,ii      
,nephi xi1 #c4    #ca4 ,three of the    
eight witnesses died out of the ,church1
 yet not one  of the whole number ever  
was known to deny his testimony         
concerning  the ,book of ,mormon4#gia   

,here1 then1 are proofs of varied kinds 
regarding the reliability of this       
volume4 ,learned linguists pronounce    
the characters genuine2 eleven men of   
honest report make solemn oath  of the  
appearance of the plates2 and the nature
 of the book itself  sustains the claim 
that it is nothing more nor less than a 
translation  of ancient records4        
#gia ,see ,note #d4      ,,notes4       
#a4 ,book of ,mormon ,title ,page4--,i  
wish to mention here that the           
title page of the ,book of ,mormon is a 
literal translation1 taken       from   
the very last leaf on the left hand side
 of the collection       or book of     
plates1 which contained the record which
 has been       translated1 the language
 of the whole running the same as all   
,hebrew writing in general2 and that    
said title page is not by any           
means a modern composition1 either of   
mine or any other man who       has     
lived or does live in this              
generation4--,joseph ,smith1 ,ch4       

,hist41 ,vol4 ,i1 p4 #ga4         #b4   
,theories concerning the ,origin of the 
,book of ,mormon4 ,the       ,spaulding 
,story4--,the true account of the origin
 of the ,book of       ,mormon was      
rejected by the public in general1 who  
thus assumed       the responsibility of
 explaining in some plausible way the   
source       of the record4 ,many vague 
theories1 based on the incredible       
assumption that the book was the work of
 a single author1 were       put        
forward2 of these the most famous1 and1 
indeed1 the only one       that lived   
long enough in public favor to be       
discussed1 is the so       called       
,spaulding ,story4 ,solomon ,spaulding1 
a clergyman of       ,amity1 ,pa41 wrote
 a romance to which no title other than 
,manuscript ,story was prefixed4 ,twenty
 years after the author's       death1  
one ,hurlburt1 an apostate from the     
,church of ,jesus ,christ       of      
,latter-day ,saints1 announced a        
resemblance between the story       and 

the ,book of ,mormon1 and expressed his 
conviction that the       work presented
 to the world by ,joseph ,smith was     
nothing but       ,spaulding's romance  
revised and amplified4 ,the manuscript  
was       lost for a time1 and1 in the  
absence of proof to the contrary1       
stories of the parallelism between the  
two works multiplied4 ,but1       by a  
fortunate circumstance1 in #ahhd        
,president ,james ,h4 ,fairchild        
of ,oberlin ,college1 ,ohio1 and a      
literary friend1 one ,mr4 ,rice1 in     
examining a heterogeneous collection of 
old papers that had been       purchased
 by ,mr4 ,rice1 found the original      
story4 ,the gentlemen       made a      
careful comparison of the manuscript and
 the ,book of       ,mormon2 and1 with  
the sole desire of subserving the       
purposes of       truth1 made public    
their results4 ,pres4 ,fairchild        
published an       article in the ,new  
,york ,observer1 ,feb4 #e1 #ahhe1 in    
which he       said3--,the theory of the

 origin of the ,book of ,mormon in the  
traditional manuscript of ,solomon      
,spaulding will probably have to        
be relinquished4444 ,mr4 ,rice1 myself1 
and others compared it the              
,spaulding manuscript with the ,book of 
,mormon and could detect no             
resemblance between the two4444 ,some   
other explanation of the       ,book of 
,mormon must be found1 if any           
explanation is required4         ,the   
manuscript was deposited in the library 
of ,oberlin ,college1       where it now
 reposes4 ,still1 the theory of the     
,manuscript       ,found1 as            
,spaulding's story has come to be known1
 is       occasionally pressed into     
service in the cause of anti-,mormon    
zeal1 by some whom we will charitably   
believe to be ignorant of       the     
facts set forth by ,pres4 ,fairchild4 ,a
 letter of more recent       date1      
written by that honorable gentleman in  
reply to an       enquiring             
correspondent1 was published in the     

,millennial ,star1       ,liverpool1    
,nov4 #c1 #ahih1 and is as follows3     
,,oberlin ,,college1 ,,ohio1    ,october
 #ag1 #ahie4         ,j4 ,r4 ,hindley1  
,esq41         ,,dear ,,sir3--,we have  
in our ,college ,library an original    
manuscript       of ,solomon            
,spaulding--unquestionably genuine4     
,i found it in #ahhd in the hands of    
,hon4 ,l4 ,l4 ,rice of ,honolulu1       
,hawaiian ,islands4 ,he was formerly    
,state ,printer at ,columbus1 ,o41      
and before that1 publisher of a paper in
 ,painesville1 whose       preceding    
publisher had visited ,mrs4 ,spaulding  
and obtained the       manuscript from  
her4 ,it had lain among his old papers  
forty years       or more1 and was      
brought out by my asking him to look up 
anti-slavery documents among his papers4
         ,the manuscript has upon it the
 signatures of several men of           
,conneaut1 ,o41 who had heard ,spaulding
 read it and knew it to be       his4   
,no one can see it and question its     

genuineness4 ,the       manuscript has  
been printed twice at least--once by the
 ,mormons       of ,salt ,lake ,city1   
and once by the ,josephite ,mormons of  
,iowa4 ,the       ,utah ,mormons        
obtained the copy of ,mr4 ,rice at      
,honolulu1 and the       ,josephites got
 it of me after it came into my         
possession4         ,this manuscript is 
not the original of the ,book of        
,mormon4      ,yours very truly1        
,,jas4 ,h4 ,,fairchild4         ,printed
 copies of the ,manuscript ,found are   
obtainable1 and any       enquirer may  
examine for himself4 ,for further       
information see       ,the ,myth of the 
,manuscript ,found1 by ,elder ,george   
,reynolds1       ,salt ,lake ,city2     
,whitney's ,history of ,utah1 ,vol4 ,i1 
pp4 #df-ef2       ,elder ,george        
,reynolds' preface to the story as      
issued by the       ,deseret ,news      
,company1 ,salt ,lake ,city1 #ahhf2 and 
the story itself4       ,see also three 
articles by ,pres4 ,joseph ,f4 ,smith in

 ,improvement       ,era1 ,vol4 ,,iii1  
pp4 #bda1 #cgg1 #dea4         #c4 ,the  
,three ,witnesses4--,oliver             
,cowdery4--,born at ,wells1             
,rutland ,co41 ,vermont1 ,october1      
#ahje2 baptized ,may #ae1 #ahbi2 died   
at ,richmond1 ,mo41 ,march #c1 #ahej4   
,david ,whitmer4--,born near            
,harrisburg1 ,pa41 ,january #g1 #ahje2  
baptized ,june1 #ahbi2 excommunicated   
from the ,church1 ,april #ac1           
#ahch2 died at ,richmond1 ,mo41 ,january
 #be1 #ahhh4         ,martin            
,harris4--,born at ,east-town1 ,saratoga
 ,co41 ,new ,york1 ,may       #ah1      
#aghc2 baptized #ahcj2 removed to ,utah1
 ,august1 #ahgj1 and died       at      
,clarkston1 ,cache ,co41 ,utah1 ,july   
#aj1 #ahge4         #d4 ,the ,eight     
,witnesses4--,christian ,whitmer4--,born
 ,january #ah1       #agih2 baptized    
,april #aa1 #ahcj2 died in full         
fellowship in the       ,church1 ,clay  
,county1 ,missouri1 ,november #bg1      
#ahce4 ,he was the       eldest son of  

,peter ,whitmer4         ,jacob         
,whitmer4--,second son of ,peter        
,whitmer2 born in       ,pennsylvania1  
,january #bg1 #ahjj2 baptized ,april    
#aa1 #ahcj2 died       ,april #ba1      
#ahef1 having previously withdrawn from 
the ,church4         ,peter ,whitmer1   
,jr4--,born ,september #bg1 #ahji2 fifth
 son of ,peter       ,whitmer2 baptized 
,june1 #ahbi2 died a faithful member of 
the       ,church1 at or near ,liberty1 
,clay ,co41 ,missouri1 ,september #bb1  
#ahcf4         ,john ,whitmer4--,third  
son of ,peter ,whitmer2 born ,august    
#bg1 #ahjb2       baptized ,june1 #ahbi2
 excommunicated from the ,church ,march 
#aj1       #ahch2 died at ,far ,west1   
,missouri1 ,july #aa1 #ahgh4            
,hiram ,page4--,born in ,vermont1 #ahjj2
 baptized ,april #aa1 #ahcj2            
withdrew from the ,church1 #ahch2 died  
in ,ray ,co41 ,missouri1 ,august        
#ab1 #aheb4         ,joseph ,smith1     
,sen4--,the ,prophet ,joseph's father2  
born at       ,topsfield1 ,essex ,co41  

,mass41 ,july #ab1 #agga2 baptized      
,april #f1       #ahcj2 ordained        
,patriarch to the ,church1 ,december    
#ah1 #ahcc2 died       in full          
fellowship in the ,church at ,nauvoo1   
,ill41 ,sept4 #ad1 #ahdj4         ,hyrum
 ,smith4--,second son of ,joseph ,smith1
 ,sen41 born at       ,tunbridge1 ,vt41 
,february #i1 #ahjj2 baptized ,june1    
#ahbi2 appointed       one of the ,first
 ,presidency of the ,church ,november   
#g1 #ahcg2       ,patriarch to the      
,church ,january #ai1 #ahda2 martyred   
with his       brother1 the ,prophet1 at
 ,carthage1 ,ill41 ,june #bg1 #ahdd4    
,samuel ,harrison ,smith4--,born        
,tunbridge1 ,vt41 ,march #ac1 #ahjh2    
fourth son of ,joseph ,smith1 ,sen41    
baptized ,may #ae1 #ahbi2 died          
,july #cj1 #ahdd4         #e4           
,consistency of the ,book of            
,mormon4--,if the historical parts      
of the ,book of ,mormon be compared with
 what little is known from       other  
sources1 concerning the history of      

ancient ,america1 there       will be   
found much evidence to substantiate its 
truth2 but there       cannot be found  
one truth among all the gleanings of    
antiquity       that clashes with the   
historical truths of the ,book of       
,mormon4 ,if       the prophetical part 
of this wonderful book be compared with 
the       prophetical declarations of   
the ,bible1 there will be found much    
evidence in the latter to establish the 
truth of the former4 ,but       though  
there are many predictions in the ,book 
of ,mormon1 relating       to the great 
events of the last days1 which the      
,bible gives us no       information    
about1 yet there is nothing in the      
predictions of the       ,bible that    
contradicts in the least the predictions
 of the ,book       of ,mormon4 ,if the 
doctrinal part of the ,book of ,mormon  
be       compared with the doctrines of 
the ,bible1 there will be found the     
same perfect harmony which we find on   
the comparison of the       prophetical 

parts of the two books4 ,although there 
are many       points of the doctrine of
 ,christ that are far more plain and    
definite in the ,book of ,mormon than in
 the ,bible1 and many things            
revealed in relation to doctrine that   
never could be fully       learned from 
the ,bible1 yet there are not any items 
of doctrine       in the two sacred     
books that contradict each other or     
clash in       the least4 ,if the       
various books which enter into the      
collection       called the ,book of    
,mormon be carefully compared with each 
other1       there will be found nothing
 contradictory in history1 in           
prophecy1 or in doctrine4444 ,if we     
compare the historical1                 
prophetical1 and doctrinal parts of the 
,book of ,mormon with the       great   
truths of science and nature1 we find no
 contradictions--no                     
absurdities--nothing unreasonable4 ,the 
most perfect harmony       therefore    
exists between the great truths revealed

 in the ,book of       ,mormon and all  
other known truths1 whether religious1  
historical1       or                    
scientific4--,apostle ,orson ,pratt in  
,divine ,authenticity of       the ,book
 of ,mormon1 p4 #ef4          ,,lecture 
,,xv4    ,,the ,,book ,,of              
,,mormon4--,continued4         ,article 
#h4--444 ,we also believe the ,book of  
,mormon to be the       word of ,god4   
,,authenticity ,,of ,,the ,,book ,,of   
,,mormon4    #a4 ,the ,divine           
,authenticity of the ,book of ,mormon   
constitutes our  most important         
consideration of the work4 ,this subject
 is one of vital  interest to every     
earnest investigator of the ways of     
,god1 to every  sincere searcher after  
truth4 ,claiming to be1 as far as the   
present  dispensation is concerned1 a   
new scripture1 presenting prophecies and
  revelations not heretofore recognized 
in modern theology1 announcing  to the  
world the message of a departed people1 
written by way of  commandment1 and by  

the spirit of prophecy and              
revelation--this volume  is entitled to 
the most thorough and impartial         
examination4 ,nay1 more1  not alone does
 the ,book of ,mormon merit such        
consideration1 it claims1  even demands 
the same2 for surely no one professing  
the most cursory  belief in the power   
and authority of ,god can receive with  
unconcern  the announcement of a new    
revelation1 having the seal of ,divine  
authority upon it4 ,the question of the 
authenticity of the ,book of  ,mormon is
 therefore one in which the world is    
interested4    #b4 ,the ,latter-day     
,saints base their belief in the        
authenticity and  genuineness of the    
book on the following proofs3--         
,i4 ,the general agreement of the ,book 
of ,mormon with the ,bible4             
,,ii4 ,the fulfillment of ancient       
prophecies accomplished by the          
bringing forth of the ,book of ,mormon4 
,,iii4 ,the strict agreement and        
consistency of the ,book of ,mormon     

with itself4         ,,iv4 ,the evident 
truth of its contained prophecies4      
,to these may be added certain external1
 or extra-scriptural evidences1  amongst
 which are3--         ,v4 ,the strongly 
corroborative evidence furnished by     
modern       discoveries in the field of
 archeological and ethnological         
science4      ,i4 ,,the ,,book ,,of     
,,mormon ,,and ,,the ,,bible4    #c4    
,the ,nephite and the ,jewish           
,scriptures are found to agree in all   
matters of tradition1 history1 doctrine1
 and prophecy upon which both  the      
separate records treat4 ,these two      
volumes of scripture were  prepared on  
opposite hemispheres1 under conditions  
and circumstances  widely diverse2 yet  
between them there exists a surprising  
harmony1  confirmatory of ,divine       
inspiration in both4 ,the ,book of      
,mormon  contains a number of quotations
 from the ancient ,jewish scriptures1 a 
copy of which1 as far as they had been  
compiled at the time of ,lehi's  exodus 

from ,jerusalem1 was brought to the     
western continent1 as part  of the      
record engraved on the plates of ,laban4
 ,in the case of such  passages1 there  
is no essential difference between      
,bible and ,book of  ,mormon versions1  
except in instances of probable error in
  translation1--usually apparent through
 inconsistency or lack of  clearness in 
the ,bible reading4 ,there are1 however1
 numerous minor  variations in          
corresponding parts of the two volumes2 
and between  such1 examination usually  
demonstrates the superior perspicuity of
 the  ,nephite scripture4    #d4 ,in a  
careful comparison of the prophecies of 
the ,bible with  corresponding          
predictions contained in the ,book of   
,mormon1 e4 g4 those  relating to the   
birth1 earthly ministry1 sacrificial    
death1 and second  coming of ,christ    
,jesus2 with others referring to the    
scattering and  subsequent gathering of 
,israel2 and with such as relate to the 
establishment of ,zion and the          

re-building of ,jerusalem in the last   
days1 each of the records will be seen  
to be corroborative of the  other4      
,true1 there are many predictions in one
 which are not found in  the other2 but 
in no instance has a contradiction or an
 inconsistency  between the two been    
pointed out4 ,between the doctrinal     
parts of the  two volumes of scripture  
the same perfect harmony is found to    
prevail4    #e4 ,of the agreement of the
 ,book of ,mormon with the ,bible and   
with  other standards of comparison1    
,apostle ,orson ,pratt has forcefully   
and  truthfully written3--,if the       
miracles of the ,book of ,mormon be     
compared with the miracles of the       
,bible1 there cannot be found in the    
former anything that would be more      
difficult to believe1 than what we  find
 in the latter4 ,if we compare the      
historical1 prophetical1 and  doctrinal 
parts of the ,book of ,mormon with the  
great truths of science  and nature1 we 
find no contradictions1 no absurdities1 

nothing  unreasonable4 ,the most perfect
 harmony1 therefore1 exists between the 
great truths revealed in the ,book of   
,mormon1 and all other known  truths1   
whether religious1 historical1 or       
scientific4#gib      #gib ,divine       
,authenticity of the ,book of ,mormon1  
,orson ,pratt's    ,works1 p4 #bcf      
7#ahia1 ,utah ed47      ,,ii4 ,,ancient 
,,prophecy ,,regarding ,,the ,,book ,,of
 ,,mormon4    #f4 ,ancient ,prophecy has
 been literally fulfilled in the coming 
forth  of the ,book of ,mormon4 ,one of 
the earliest prophetic utterances       
directly bearing upon this subject is   
that of ,enoch1 the ante-diluvian       
prophet1 unto whom the ,lord revealed   
,his purposes for all time4  ,witnessing
 in vision the corruption of mankind1   
after the ascension of  the ,son of     
,man1 ,enoch cried unto his ,god1 ,wilt 
thou not come again on  the earth8 ,and 
the ,lord said unto ,enoch1 ,as ,i live1
 even so will ,i  come in the last      
days4444 ,and the day shall come that   

the earth shall  rest1 but before that  
day the heavens shall be darkened1 and a
 veil of  darkness shall cover the      
earth1 and the heavens shall shake and  
also  the earth1 and great tribulations 
shall be among the children of men2  but
 my people will ,i preserve1 and        
righteousness will ,i send down out  of 
heaven1 and truth will ,i send forth out
 of the earth1 to bear  testimony of    
,mine ,only ,begotten4444 and           
righteousness and truth will ,i  cause  
to sweep the earth as with a flood to   
gather out mine own elect  from the four
 quarters of the earth1 unto a place    
which ,i shall  prepare4#gic ,the       
,latter-day ,saints regard the coming   
forth of the  ,book of ,mormon1 together
 with the restoration of the ,priesthood
 by the  direct ministration of heavenly
 messengers1 as a fulfillment of this   
prophecy1 and of similar predictions    
contained in the ,bible4      #gic      
,pearl of ,great ,price3 ,moses vii1    
#ei-fb4    #g4 ,biblical ,prophecies and

 their ,fulfillment4--,david1 who sang  
his  psalms over a thousand years before
 the ,meridian of ,time1 declared1      
,truth shall spring out of the earth1   
and righteousness shall look  down from 
heaven4#gid ,and so also declared       
,isaiah4#gie ,ezekiel saw  in vision#gif
 the coming together of the stick of    
,judah1 and the  stick of ,joseph1      
signifying1 as the ,latter-day ,saints  
affirm1 the  ,bible and the ,book of    
,mormon4 ,the passage last referred to  
reads1 in  the words of ,ezekiel3--,the 
word of the ,lord came again unto me1   
saying1 ,moreover1 thou son of man1 take
 thee one stick1 and write upon  it1    
,for ,judah1 and for the children of    
,israel his companions3 then  take      
another stick1 and write upon it1 ,for  
,joseph1 the stick of  ,ephraim1 and for
 all the house of ,israel his           
companions2 ,and join them  one to      
another into one stick2 and they shall  
become one in thine  hand4      #gid    
,psalms lxxxv1 #aa4      #gie ,isa4 xiv1

 #h4      #gif ,ezek4 xxxvii1           
particularly verses #ae-bj4    #h4 ,when
 we call to mind the ancient custom in  
the making of  books1--that of writing  
on long strips of parchment and rolling 
the  same on rods or sticks1 the use of 
the word stick as equivalent to  book in
 the passage becomes at once            
apparent1#gig ,at the time of  this     
utterance1 the ,israelites had divided  
into two nations known as  the people of
 ,judah1 and that of ,israel1 or        
,ephraim4 ,there would seem  to be      
little room for doubt that the records  
of ,judah and of ,joseph  are here      
referred to4#gih ,now1 as we have seen1 
the ,nephite nation  comprised the      
descendants of ,lehi of the tribe of    
,manasseh1 of ,ishmael  an ,ephraimite1 
and of ,zoram whose tribal relation is  
not definitely  stated4 ,the ,nephites  
were then of the tribes of ,joseph2 and 
their  record or stick is as truly      
represented by the ,book of ,mormon as  
is  the stick of ,judah by the ,bible4  

#gig ,see a corresponding use of the    
word roll in ,jeremiah    xxxvi1 #a1 #b2
 and its synonym book in verses #h1 #aj1
 #aa1 and #ac4      #gih ,compare with  
,lehi's prediction made to his son      
,joseph1 ,,ii    ,nephi iii1 #ab4    #i4
 ,that the coming forth of the record of
 ,joseph or ,ephraim is to be           
accomplished through the direct power of
 ,god is evident from the  ,lord's      
interpretation of the vision of         
,ezekiel1 wherein ,he  says3--,behold1  
,i will take the stick of ,joseph 444   
and will put  them with him1 even with  
the stick of ,judah4#gii ,and that this 
union  of the two records is to be a    
characteristic of the latter days is    
evident from the prediction of an event 
which is to follow  immediately1 viz41  
the gathering of the tribes from the    
nations among  which they had been      
dispersed4#hjj ,comparison with other   
prophecies  relating to the gathering   
will conclusively prove that the great  
event  is to take place in the latter   

times1 preparatory to the second coming 
of ,christ4#hja      #gii ,ezek4 xxxvii1
 #ai4      #hjj ,verse #ba4      #hja   
,see lecture on ,gathering in connection
 with ,article #aj1    page #cda4       
#aj4 ,reverting to the writings of      
,isaiah1 we find that prophet  voicing  
the ,lord's threatenings against ,ariel1
 or ,jerusalem1 the city  where ,david  
dwelt4 ,ariel was to be distressed1     
burdened with  heaviness and sorrow2    
then the prophet refers to some people1 
other  than ,judah1 who occupied        
,jerusalem1 for he makes comparison with
 the  latter1 saying ,and it shall be   
unto me as ,ariel4 ,as to the fate      
decreed against this other people we    
read3--,and thou shalt be brought  down1
 and shalt speak out of the ground1 and 
thy speech shall be low  out of the     
dust1 and thy voice shall be1 as of one 
that hath a  familiar spirit1 out of the
 ground1 and thy speech shall whisper   
out  of the dust4#hjb      #hjb ,isaiah 
xxix1 #d--read verses #a-f4    #aa4 ,of 

the fulfillment of these and associated 
prophecies1 a modern  apostle has       
written3--,these predictions of ,isaiah 
could not refer to  ,ariel1 or          
,jerusalem1 because their speech has not
 been 'out of the  ground1' or 'low out 
of the dust'2 but it refers to the      
remnant of  ,joseph who were destroyed  
in ,america upwards of fourteen hundred 
years  ago4 ,the ,book of ,mormon       
describes their downfall1 and truly it  
was  great and terrible4 ,at the        
crucifixion of ,christ1 'the multitude  
of  their terrible ones1' as ,isaiah    
predicted1 'became as chaff that        
passeth away1' and it took place as he  
further predicts1 'at an  instant       
suddenly4'444 ,this remnant of ,joseph  
in their distress and  destruction      
became as ,ariel4 ,as the ,roman army   
lay siege to ,ariel1  and brought upon  
her great distress and sorrow1 so did   
the contending  nations of ancient      
,america bring upon each other the most 
direful  scenes of blood and carnage4   

,therefore the ,lord could1 with the    
greatest propriety1 when speaking in    
reference to this event1 declare  that1 
',it shall be unto me as ,ariel4'#hjc   
#hjc ,orson ,pratt1 ,divine             
,authenticity of the ,book of ,mormon1  
pp4 #bic-bid 7,utah ed41 #ahia74 ,for   
details of fulfillment of part    of the
 prophecy1 see ,,iii ,nephi viii-ix4    
#ab4 ,isaiah's striking prediction that 
the nation thus brought down  should    
speak out of the ground1 with speech low
 out of the dust  was literally         
fulfilled in the bringing forth of the  
,book of ,mormon1  the original of which
 was taken out of the ground1 and the   
voice of  the record is as that of one  
speaking from the dust4 ,in continuation
  of the same prophecy we read3--,and   
the vision of all is become unto  you as
 the words of a book that is sealed1    
which men deliver unto one  that is     
learned1 saying1 ,read this1 ,i pray    
thee3 and he saith1 ,i  cannot2 for it  
is sealed3 ,and the book is delivered   

unto him that is  not learned1 saying1  
,read this1 ,i pray thee3 and he saith1 
,i am not  learned4#hjd ,the fulfillment
 of this prediction is claimed in the   
presentation of the transcript from the 
plates1--the words of a  book1 not the  
book itself1 to the learned ,prof4      
,anthon1 whose reply  almost in the     
words of the text has been cited2#hje   
and in the  delivery of the book itself 
to the unfettered lad1 ,joseph ,smith4  
#hjd ,isaiah xxix1 #aa-ab4      #hje    
,see pp4 #bgc-bgd4      ,,iii4          
,,consistency ,,of ,,style ,,and        
,,matter ,,in ,,the ,,book ,,of         
,,mormon4    #ac4 ,the ,consistency of  
the ,book of ,mormon sustains belief in 
its  ,divine origin4 ,the parts bear    
evidence of having been written at      
different times1 and under widely       
varying conditions4 ,the style of the   
component books is in harmony with the  
times and circumstances of  their       
production4 ,the portions which were    
transcribed from the plates  bearing    

,mormon's abridgment contain numerous   
interpolations as  comments and         
explanations of the transcriber2 but in 
the first six  books1 which1 as already 
explained1 are the verbatim record of   
the  smaller plates of ,nephi1 no such  
interpolations occur4 ,the book         
maintains strict consistency throughout 
all its parts2 no  contradictions1 no   
disagreements have been pointed out4    
#ad4 ,a ,marked ,diversity of ,style    
characterizes the several  parts4#hjf   
,from what has been said regarding the  
classes of plates  which constitute the 
original records of the ,book of        
,mormon1 it is  evident that the volume 
contains the compiled writings of a long
 line  of inspired scribes extending    
through a thousand years1 this          
time-range being exclusive of the       
earlier years of ,jaredite history4     
,unity of style is not to be expected   
under such conditions2 and1  indeed1 did
 such occur1 it would be fatal to the   
claims made for the  volume4      #hjf  

,see ,note #a4      ,,iv4 ,,the ,,book  
,,of ,,mormon ,,sustained ,,by ,,the    
,,fulfillment ,,of ,,its ,,contained    
,,prophecies4    #ae4 ,book of ,mormon  
,predictions are numerous and important4
 ,amongst  the most conclusive proofs of
 the authenticity of the book is that   
furnished by the demonstrated truth of  
its contained prophecies4  ,prophecy is 
best proved in the light of its own     
fulfillment4 ,the  predictions contained
 within the ,book of ,mormon may be     
classed as  7a7 ,prophecies relating to 
the time covered by the book itself1 the
  fulfillment of which is recorded      
therein2 and 7b7 ,prophecies  relating  
to times beyond the limits of the       
history chronicled in the  book4    #af4
 ,prophecies of the ,first ,class named1
 the fulfillment of which  is attested  
by the ,book of ,mormon record1 are of  
but minor value as  proof of the        
authenticity of the work2 for1 had the  
book been written  according to a plot  
devised by man1 both prediction and     

fulfillment  would have been provided   
for with equal care and ingenuity4      
,nevertheless1 to the studious and      
conscientious reader1 the  genuineness  
of the book will be apparent2 and the   
account of the  literal realization of  
the numerous and varied predictions     
relating  to the fate then future of the
 people whose history is given in the   
record1 as also of those concerning the 
details of the birth and death  of the  
,savior1 and of ,his appearing in a     
resurrected state1 must1 by  their      
accuracy and consistency1 appeal with   
force as evidence of  inspiration and   
authority in the record4    #ag4        
,prophecies of the ,second ,class1      
relating to a time which to  the writers
 was far future1 are numerous and       
explicit3 many of them  have special    
reference to the last days1--the        
dispensation of the  fulness of         
times1--and of these1 some have been    
already literally  accomplished1 others 
are now in process of actual            

realization1 while  yet others are      
awaiting fulfillment under specified    
conditions which  seem now to be rapidly
 approaching4 ,among the most remarkable
 of the  ,book of ,mormon predictions   
incident to the last dispensation are   
those  that relate to its own coming    
forth and the effect of its publication 
amongst mankind4 ,ezekiel's biblical    
prophecy concerning the coming  together
 of the sticks1 or records1 of ,judah   
and of ,ephraim has  received attention4
 ,consider the promise made to ,joseph  
who was sold  into ,egypt1 repeated by  
,lehi to his son ,joseph--a prediction  
which  couples the prophecy concerning  
the book with that of the seer through  
whose instrumentality the miracle was to
 be accomplished3--,but a seer  will ,i 
raise up out of the fruit of thy loins2 
and unto him will ,i  give power to     
bring forth my word unto the seed of thy
 loins2 and not  to the bringing forth  
my word only1 saith the ,lord1 but to   
the  convincing them of my word1 which  

shall have already gone forth among     
them4 ,wherefore1 the fruit of thy loins
 shall write2 and the fruit of  the     
loins of ,judah shall write2 and that   
which shall be written by the  fruit of 
thy loins1 and also that which shall be 
written by the fruit  of the loins of   
,judah1 shall grow together1 unto the   
confounding of  false doctrines1 and    
laying down of contentions1 and         
establishing  peace among the fruit of  
thy loins1 and bringing them to the     
knowledge  of their fathers in the      
latter days2 and also to the knowledge  
of my  covenants1 saith the ,lord4 ,and 
out of weakness he shall be made        
strong1 in that day when my work shall  
commence among all my people1  unto the 
restoring thee1 ,o house of ,israel1    
saith the ,lord4#hjg ,the  literal      
fulfillment of these utterances in the  
bringing forth of the  ,book of ,mormon 
through ,joseph ,smith is of itself     
apparent4      #hjg ,,ii ,nephi iii1    
#aa-ac4    #ah4 ,unto ,nephi the ,lord  

showed the effect of the new            
publication1  declaring that in the day 
of ,israel's gathering1--plainly then   
the day  of the fulness of times1 as    
attested by the ,jewish scriptures1--the
  words of the ,nephites should be given
 to the world1 and should hiss  forth   
unto the ends of the earth1 for a       
standard unto the house of  ,israel2 and
 that then the ,gentiles1 forgetting    
even their debt to the  ,jews from whom 
they have received the ,bible in which  
they profess such  faith1 would revile  
and curse that branch of the covenant   
people1 and  would reject the new       
scripture1 exclaiming1 ,a ,bible6 a     
,bible6 we have  got a ,bible1 and there
 cannot be any more ,bible4#hjh ,is this
 not the  burden of the frenzied        
objections raised by the ,gentile world 
against  the ,book of ,mormon1--that it 
is of necessity void because new        
revelation is not to be expected8       
#hjh ,,ii ,nephi xxix1 #c2 read the     
chapter4    #ai4 ,now1 in olden times1  

two witnesses were required to establish
  the truth of any allegation2 and1 says
 the ,lord concerning the dual  records 
witnessing of ,himself3--,wherefore     
murmur ye1 because that ye  shall       
receive more of my word8 ,know ye not   
that the testimony of two  nations is a 
witness unto you that ,i am ,god1 that  
,i remember one  nation like unto       
another8 ,wherefore1 ,i speak the same  
words unto one  nation like unto        
another4 ,and when the two nations shall
 run  together1 the testimony of the two
 nations shall run together  also4#hji  
#hji ,verse #h4    #bj4 ,associated with
 these predictions of the joint         
testimony of  ,jewish and ,nephite      
scriptures is another prophecy1 the     
consummation of  which is now eagerly   
awaited by the faithful4 ,other         
scriptures are  promised2 note this word
 of ,god3--,wherefore1 because that ye  
have a  ,bible1 ye need not suppose that
 it contains all my words2 neither need 
ye suppose that ,i have not caused more 

to be written3 444 ,for behold1  ,i     
shall speak unto the ,jews1 and they    
shall write it2 and ,i shall also  speak
 unto the ,nephites1 and they shall     
write it2 and ,i shall also  speak unto 
the other tribes of the house of        
,israel1 which ,i have led  away1 and   
they shall write it2 and ,i shall also  
speak unto all nations  of the earth1   
and they shall write it4 ,and it shall  
come to pass that  the ,jews shall have 
the words of the ,nephites1 and the     
,nephites shall  have the words of the  
,jews2 and the ,nephites and the ,jews  
shall have  the words of the lost tribes
 of ,israel2 and the lost tribes of     
,israel  shall have the words of the    
,nephites and the ,jews4#haj      #haj  
,verses #aj and #ab4      ,v4           
,,corroborative ,,evidence ,,furnished  
,,by ,,modern ,,discoveries4    #ba4    
,the ,archeology and ,ethnology of the  
western continent contribute  valuable  
corroborative evidence in support of the
 ,book of ,mormon4  ,these sciences are 

confessedly unable to explain in any    
decisive  manner the origin of the      
native ,american races2 nevertheless1   
investigation in this field has yielded 
some results that are fairly  definite1 
and with the most important of these the
 ,book of ,mormon  account is in general
 accord4 ,among the most prominent of   
the  discoveries respecting the         
aboriginal inhabitants1 are the         
following3--         ,i4 ,that ,america 
was inhabited in very ancient times1    
probably       soon after the building  
of the ,tower of ,babel4         ,,ii4  
,that the continent has been            
successively occupied by       different
 peoples1 at least by two classes1 or   
so-called races       at widely         
separated periods4         ,,iii4 ,that 
the aboriginal inhabitants came from the
 east1 probably       from ,asia1 and   
that the later occupants1 or those of   
the second       period1 were closely   
allied to1 if not identical with1 the   
,israelites4         ,,iv4 ,that the    

existing native races of ,america have  
sprung from a       common stock4       
#bb4 ,from the outline already given of 
the historical part of the  ,book of    
,mormon1 it is seen that each of these  
discoveries is fully  attested by that  
record4 ,thus it is stated therein3--   
,i4 ,that ,america was settled by the   
,jaredites1 who came direct from the    
scenes of ,babel4    ,,ii4 ,that the    
,jaredites occupied the land for about  
eighteen hundred  and fifty years1      
during which time they spread over a    
great part of  ,north and ,south        
,america2 and that at about the time of 
their  extinction 7near #eij ,b4 ,c471  
,lehi and his company came to this      
continent1 where they developed into the
 segregated nations ,nephites  and      
,lamanites1 the former becoming extinct 
near #che ,a4 ,d41 about a  thousand    
years after ,lehi's arrival on these    
shores2 the latter  continuing in a     
degenerate condition until the present1 
being  represented by the ,indian tribes

 of to-day4    ,,iii4 ,that ,lehi1      
,ishmael1 and ,zoram1 the progenitors of
 both ,nephites  and ,lamanites1 were   
undoubtedly ,israelites1 ,lehi being of 
the tribe of  ,manasseh while ,ishmael  
was an ,ephraimite1 and that the colony 
came  direct from ,jerusalem1 in ,asia4 
,,iv4 ,that the existing ,indian tribes 
are all direct descendants of  ,lehi and
 his company1 and that therefore they   
have sprung from men all  of whom were  
of the house of ,israel4    ,now let us 
examine some of the evidence bearing on 
these points  presented by individual   
investigators1 most of whom knew nothing
 of  the ,book of ,mormon1 and none of  
whom accept the book as  authentic4#haa 
#haa ,acknowledgments4--,many of the    
citations which follow1 used    in      
connection with the extra-scriptural    
evidence supporting the    ,book of     
,mormon1 have been brought together by  
writers among our    people1            
particularly by ,elder ,george ,reynolds
 7see his lectures as    specified where

 quoted72 also series of articles       
entitled    ,american ,antiquities1 in  
,millennial ,star1 ,liverpool1 vol4 xxi1
    by ,moses ,thatcher 7see a series of
 articles on ,the ,divine ,origin    of 
the ,book of ,mormon1 in ,contributor1  
,salt ,lake ,city1 vol4    ii72 and by  
,elder ,edwin ,f4 ,parry 7see tract1 ,a 
,prophet of    ,latter-days1 ,liverpool1
 #ahih74    #bc4 ,i4 ,concerning the    
very ,ancient ,period at which ,america 
was  ,inhabited4--,a recognized         
authority on ,american antiquities gives
 the  following evidence and            
inference3--,one of the arts known to   
the  builders of ,babel was that of     
brick making4 ,this art was also known  
to  the people who built the works in   
the west4 ,the knowledge of copper  was 
known to the people of the plains of    
,shinar2 for ,noah must have            
communicated it1 as he lived a hundred  
and fifty #cej years among  them after  
the flood4 ,also copper was known to the
 ante-diluvians4  ,copper was also known

 to the authors of the western          
monuments4 ,iron  was known to the      
ante-diluvians4 ,it was also known to   
the ancients of  the west4 ,however1 it 
is evident that very little iron was    
among them1  as very few instances of   
its discovery in their works have       
occurred2  and for this very reason we  
draw a conclusion that they came to this
  country soon after the dispersion4#hab
      #hab ,priest1 ,american           
,antiquities1 #ahcd1 p4 #bai4    #bd4   
,lowry1 in his ,reply to official       
inquiries respecting the  ,aborigines of
 ,america1 concludes concerning the     
peopling of the  western continent1 that
 the first settlement was made shortly  
after  the confusion of tongues at the  
building of the ,tower of ,babel4#hac   
#hac ,schoolcraft's ,ethnological       
,researches1 vol4 iii 7#ahec74    #be4  
,prof4 ,waterman of ,boston says of the 
progenitors of the ,american            
,indians3--,when and whence did they    
come8 ,albert ,galatin1 one of the      

profoundest philologists of the age1    
concluded that1 so far as  language     
afforded any clue1 the time of their    
arrival could not have  been long after 
the dispersion of the human family4#had 
#had ,extract from lecture by ,prof4    
,waterman1 delivered in    ,bristol1    
,england1 #ahdi2 quoted in pamphlet by  
,edwin ,f4 ,parry1 ,a    ,prophet of    
,latter ,days 7,liverpool1 #ahih74      
#bf4 ,pritchard says of ,america's      
ancient inhabitants1 that the era  of   
their existence as a distinct and       
isolated race must probably be  dated as
 far back as that time which separated  
into nations the  inhabitants of the old
 world1 and gave to each branch of the  
human  family its primitive language and
 individuality4#hae      #hae           
,pritchard1 ,national ,history of ,man  
7,london1 #ahde74    #bg4 ,a native     
,mexican author1 ,ixtilxochitl1 fixes   
the date of the  first peopling of      
,america about the year #bjjj ,b4 ,c42  
this closely  accords with that given by

 the ,book of ,mormon1 which positively 
declares that it occurred at the time of
 the dispersion1 when ,god in  ,his     
anger scattered the people upon the face
 of the whole earth4#haf  ,referring to 
the quotations from ,ixtilxochitl1      
seventeen hundred and  sixteen years are
 said to have elapsed from the creation 
to the flood4  ,moses places it sixteen 
hundred and fifty-six1 a difference of  
only  sixty years4#hag ,they agree      
exactly as to the number of cubits1     
fifteen1 which the waters prevailed over
 the highest mountains4 ,such a         
coincidence can lead to but one         
conclusion1 the identity of origin of   
the two accounts4#hah      #haf ,moses  
,thatcher1 ,contributor1 vol4 ii1 p4    
#bbg1 ,salt ,lake    ,city1 #ahha4      
#hag ,see ,note #b4      #hah ,moses    
,thatcher1 ,contributor1 vol4 ii1 p4    
#bbh4    #bh4 ,prof4 ,short1 quoting    
from ,clavigero1 says3 ,the ,chiapanese 
have  been the first peoplers of the    
,new ,world1 if we give credit to their 

traditions4 ,they say that ,votan1 the  
grandson of that respectable old  man   
who built the great ark to save himself 
and family from the  deluge1 and one of 
those who undertook the building of that
 lofty  edifice1 which was to reach up  
to heaven1 went by express command of   
the ,lord to people that land4 ,they say
 also that the first people came  from  
the quarter of the north1 and that when 
they arrived at  ,soconusco1 they       
separated1 some going to inhabit the    
country of  ,nicaragua1 and others      
remaining at ,chiapas4#hai      #hai    
,john ,t4 ,short1 ,north ,americans of  
,antiquity1 p4 #bjd    7,harper ,bros41 
,new ,york2 #bnd ed41 #ahhh74 ,see also 
,contributor    7,salt ,lake ,city1 vol4
 ii1 p #bei74    #bi4 ,,ii4 ,concerning 
the ,successive ,occupation of ,america 
by ,different  ,peoples in ,ancient     
,times4--,it has been declared by       
eminent students  of ,american          
archeology that two distinct classes1 by
 some designated  as separate races1 of 

mankind inhabited this continent in     
early times3  ,prof4 ,f4 ,w4 ,putnam#hbj
 is even more definite in his assertion 
that  one of these ancient races spread 
from the north1 the other from the      
south4 ,this is in agreement with the   
,book of ,mormon record1 which          
describes the occupation of the         
continent by the ,jaredites and the     
,nephites in turn1 the former having    
established themselves first in  ,north 
,america1 the latter in ,south ,america4
 ,h4 ,c4 ,walsh1 in an article  entitled
 ,copan1 a ,city of the ,dead1#hba gives
 many interesting  details of excavation
 and other work prosecuted by ,gordon   
under the  auspices of the ,peabody     
expedition2 and adds1 ,all this points  
to  successive periods of occupation1 of
 which there are other  evidences4#hbb  
#hbj ,putnam1 ,prehistoric ,remains in  
the ,ohio ,valley1 ,century             
,magazine1 ,march #ahij4      #hba ,see 
,harper's ,weekly 7,new ,york71         
,october1 #ahig2 article by    ,henry   

,c4 ,walsh4      #hbb ,see ,note #c4    
#cj4 ,,iii4 ,concerning the ,advent of  
at least ,one ,division of the  ,ancient
 ,americans from the ,east1 probably    
from ,asia2 and their  ,israelitish     
,origin4--,confirmatory evidence of the 
belief that the  aboriginal ,americans  
sprang from the peoples of the eastern  
hemisphere  is found in the similarity  
of record and tradition on the two      
continents1 regarding the creation1 the 
deluge1 and other great events  of      
history4 ,boturini1#hbc who is quoted by
 most writers on ,american  archeology  
says3 ,there is no ,gentile nation that 
refers to primitive  events with such   
certainty as the ,indians do4 ,they give
 us an account  of the creation of the  
world1 of the deluge1#hbd of the        
confusion of  languages at the ,tower of
 ,babel1 and of all other periods and   
ages of  the world1 and of the long     
peregrinations which their people had in
  ,asia representing the specific years 
by their characters2 and in the  seven  

,conejos 7rabbits7 they tell us of the  
great eclipse that  occurred at the     
death of ,christ1 our ,lord4      #hbc  
,chevalier ,boturini2 he spent several  
years investigating the    antiquities  
of ,mexico and ,central ,america1 and   
collected many    valuable records1 of  
most of which he was despoiled by the   
,spanish2 he published a work on the    
subject of his studies in    #agdf4     
#hbd ,see ,note #d4    #ca4 ,similar    
evidence of the common source of eastern
 and western  traditions of great events
 in primitive times is furnished in the 
writings of ,short1 already quoted1 and 
by ,baldwin1#hbe  ,clavigero1#hbf       
,kingsborough1#hbg ,sahagun1#hbh        
,prescott1#hbi  ,schoolcraft1#hcj       
,squiers1#hca ,adair1#hcb and           
others4#hcc      #hbe ,baldwin1 ,ancient
 ,america 7,harper ,bros41 ,new ,york1  
#ahga74      #hbf ,clavigero1 quoted by 
,prof4 ,short in ,north ,americans of   
,antiquity4      #hbg ,lord             
,kingsborough1 ,mexican ,antiquities    

7#ahcj-cg47      #hbh ,bernardo de      
,sahagun1 ,historia ,universal de ,nueva
 ,espana4      #hbi ,w4 ,h4 ,prescott1  
,conquest of ,mexico 7see pp4 #dfc-fd74 
#hcj ,schoolcraft1 ,ethnological        
,researches 7#ahea72 see vol4 i4        
#hca ,squiers1 ,antiquities of the      
,state of ,new ,york1 #ahea4      #hcb  
,adair1 ,history of the ,american       
,indians1 ,london1 #agge4      #hcc ,see
 ,bancroft's ,native ,races1 etc41 vols1
 iii and v2    ,donnelly's ,atlantis1 p4
 #cia 7#ahhb74    #cb4 ,prof4 ,short    
adds his testimony to the evidence of   
the  aboriginal inhabitants of ,america 
being of ,old ,world origin1 but  admits
 his inability to determine when or     
whence they came to this  continent4#hcd
 ,waterman1 before cited1 says3 ,this   
people could not  have been created in  
,africa1 for its inhabitants were widely
  dissimilar from those of ,america2 nor
 in ,europe1 which was without a  native
 people agreeing at all with ,american  
races2 then to ,asia alone  could they  

look for the origin of the              
,americans4#hce      #hcd ,john ,t4     
,short1 ,north ,americans of ,antiquity 
7#ahhh74      #hce ,extract from lecture
 by ,prof4 ,waterman1 delivered in      
,bristol1 ,england1 #ahdi2 quoted in    
pamphlet by ,edwin ,f4 ,parry1 ,a       
,prophet of ,latter ,days1 ,liverpool1  
#ahih4    #cc4 ,it has been demonstrated
 that the aboriginal tribes were        
accustomed to practice under certain    
conditions the rites of                 
circumcision1#hcf baptism1 and animal   
sacrifice4#hcg ,herrera1 a  ,spanish    
writer of three centuries ago1 states   
that among the primitive  inhabitants of
 ,yucatan baptism was known by a name   
that meant to be  born again4#hch       
#hcf ,lord ,kingsborough4      #hcg     
,donnelly's ,atlantis1 p4 #add4         
#hch ,tract1 ,a ,prophet of ,latter     
,days1 by ,edwin ,f4 ,parry1 p4    #ajf4
    #cd4 ,but it is not alone in the    
matter of custom and tradition  relating
 to pre-,christian times that so marked 

a resemblance is found  between the     
peoples of the old and the new world4   
,many traditions and  some records1     
telling of the pre-destined ,christ and 
,his atoning  death1 were current among 
the native races of this continent long 
prior to the advent of ,christian       
discoverers in recent centuries4        
,indeed1 when the ,spaniards first      
invaded ,mexico1 their ,catholic        
priests found a native knowledge of     
,christ and the ,godhead1 so closely    
corresponding with the doctrines of     
orthodox ,christianity1 that they1  in  
their inability to account for the same1
 invented the theory that  ,satan had   
planted among the natives of the country
 an imitation gospel  for the purpose of
 deluding the people4 ,a rival theory   
held that  ,thomas1 the apostle1 had    
visited the western continent1 and had  
taught  the gospel of ,christ4#hci      
#hci ,see ,pres4 ,john ,taylor's        
,mediation and ,atonement1 p4 #bja4     
#ce4 ,lord ,kingsborough1 in his        

comprehensive and standard work1  refers
 to a manuscript by ,las ,casas the     
,spanish ,bishop of ,chiapa1  which     
writing is preserved in the convent of  
,st4 ,dominic2 in this the  ,bishop     
states that a very accurate knowledge of
 the ,godhead was found  to exist among 
the natives of ,yucatan4 ,one of the    
bishop's emissaries  wrote that he had  
met with a principal lord1 who informed 
him that  they believed in ,god1 who    
resided in heaven1 even the ,father1 the
 ,son1  and the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the     
,father was named ,yeona1 the ,son      
,bahab1 who  was born of a virgin1 named
 ,chibirias1 and that the ,holy ,spirit 
was  called ,euach4 ,bahab1 the ,son1   
they said1 was put to death by ,eupuro1 
who scourged ,him1 and put on ,his head 
a crown of thorns1 and placed  ,him with
 ,his arms stretched upon a beam of     
wood2 and that1 on the  third day1 ,he  
came to life1 and ascended into heaven1 
where ,he is with  the ,father2 that    
immediately after1 the ,euach4 came as a

 merchant1  bringing precious           
merchandise1 filling those who would    
with gifts and  graces1 abundant and    
divine4#hdj      #hdj ,kingsborough's   
,antiquities of ,mexico4    #cf4        
,rosales affirms a tradition among the  
,chileans to the effect  that their     
forefathers were visited by a wonderful 
personage1 full of  grace and power1 who
 wrought many miracles among them1 and  
taught them  of the ,creator who dwelt  
in heaven in the midst of glorified     
hosts4#hda ,prescott refers to the      
symbol of the cross which was  found1 by
 the ,catholics who accompanied ,cortez1
 to be common among  the natives of     
,mexico and ,central ,america4 ,in      
addition to this sign of  a belief in   
,christ1 a ceremony akin to that of the 
,lord's ,supper was  witnessed with     
astonishment by the invaders4 ,the      
,aztec priests were  seen to prepare a  
cake of flour1 mixed with blood1 which  
they  consecrated and distributed among 
the people1 who1 as they ate1  showed   

signs of humiliation and sorrow1        
declaring it was the flesh of           
,deity4#hdb      #hda ,rosales1 ,history
 of ,chile4 ,see ,pres4 ,taylor's       
,mediation    and ,atonement1 p4 #bjb4  
#hdb ,prescott1 ,conquest of ,mexico1 p4
 #dfe4    #cg4 ,the ,mexicans recognize 
a ,deity in ,quetzalcoatl1 the          
traditional  account of whose life and  
death is closely akin to our history of 
the  ,christ1 so that1 says ,president  
,john ,taylor1 we can come to no other  
conclusion than that ,quetzalcoatl and  
,christ are the same being4#hdc  ,lord  
,kingsborough speaks of a painting of   
,quetzalcoatl1 in the  attitude of a    
person crucified1 with the impression of
 nails in his  hands and feet1 but not  
actually upon the cross4 ,the same      
authority  further says3 ,the           
seventy-third plate of the ,borgian     
,,ms4 is the most  remarkable of all1   
for ,quetzalcoatl is not only           
represented there as  crucified upon a  
cross of ,greek form1 but his burial and

 descent into  hell are also depicted in
 a very curious manner4 ,and            
again3--,the  ,mexicans believe that    
,quetzalcoatl took human nature upon    
him1  partaking of all the infirmities  
of man1 and was not exempt from  sorrow1
 pain1 or death1 which he suffered      
voluntarily to atone for the  sins of   
man4#hdd      #hdc ,mediation and       
,atonement1 p4 #bja2 see ,note #e4      
#hdd ,lord ,kingsborough1 ,antiquities  
of ,mexico2 see quotations    by ,pres4 
,john ,taylor1 ,mediation and           
,atonement1 p4 #bjb4    #ch4 ,the source
 of this knowledge of ,christ and the   
,godhead1 to  account for which gave    
such trouble to the ,catholic invaders  
and  caused them to resort to extreme   
and unfounded theory1 is plainly        
apparent to the student of the ,book of 
,mormon4 ,we learn from that  sacred    
scripture1 that the progenitors of the  
native ,american races1  for centuries  
prior to the time of ,christ's birth1   
lived in the light  of direct           

revelation1 which1 coming to them       
through their authorized  prophets1     
showed the purposes of ,god respecting  
the redemption of  mankind2 and1        
moreover1 that the risen ,redeemer      
ministered unto them  in person1 and    
established ,his ,church among them with
 all its  essential ordinances4 ,the    
people have fallen into a state of      
spiritual  degeneracy2 many of their    
traditions are sadly distorted1 and     
disfigured by admixture of superstition 
and human invention2 yet the  origin of 
their knowledge is plainly authentic4   
#ci4 ,,iv4 ,concerning the ,common      
,origin of the ,native ,races on this   
,continent4--,that the many tribes and  
nations among the ,indians and  other   
native races of ,america are of common  
parentage is very  generally admitted2  
the conclusion is based on the evident  
close  relationship in their languages1 
traditions1 and customs4 ,mr4 ,lewis    
,h4 ,morgan finds evidence that the     
,american aborigines had a common       

origin in what he calls 'their system of
 consanguinity and affinity4'  ,he says1
 ',the ,indian nations from the         
,atlantic to the ,rocky ,mountains1  and
 from the ,arctic sea to the ,gulf of   
,mexico1 with the exception of  the     
,esquimaux1 have the same system4 ,it is
 elaborate and complicated  in its      
general form and details2 and1 while    
deviations from uniformity  occur in the
 systems of different stocks1 the       
radical features are in  the main       
constant4 ,this identity in the         
essential characteristics of a  system  
so remarkable tends to show that it must
 have been transmitted  with the blood  
to each stock from a common original    
source4 ,it affords  the strongest      
evidence yet obtained of unity in origin
 of the ,indian  nations within the     
regions defined4'#hde      #hde         
,baldwin's ,ancient ,america1 p4 #ef2   
see citations of    conclusions         
regarding the characteristics of        
aboriginal ,americans    by ,bradford1  

in the same work4    #dj4 ,baldwin      
further quotes ,bradford's summary of   
conclusions  regarding the origin and   
characteristics of the ancient          
,americans1  amongst which we           
read3--,that they were all of the same  
origin1  branches of the same race1 and 
possessed of similar customs and        
institutions4#hdf ,adair writes3--,all  
the various nations of ,indians  seem to
 be of one descent2 and in support of   
this conclusion he  presents abundant   
evidence of similarity of language1     
habits1 and  customs1 religious         
ceremonies1 modes of administering      
justice1  etc4#hdg      #hdf ,the same4 
#hdg ,adair's ,history of the ,american 
,indians1 ,london1 #agge4    #da4       
,written ,language of the ,ancient      
,americans4--,to these secular1 or      
extra-scriptural1 evidences of the      
authenticity of the ,book of ,mormon    
may be added the agreement of the record
 with recent discoveries  regarding the 
written language of these ancient       

peoples4 ,the prophet  ,nephi states    
that he made his record on the plates in
 the language of  the ,egyptians1#hdh   
and we are further told that the brazen 
plates of  ,laban were inscribed in the 
same4#hdi ,mormon1 who abridged the     
voluminous writings of his predecessors1
 and prepared the plates from  which the
 modern translation was made1 employed  
also the ,egyptian  characters4 ,his son
 ,moroni1 who completed the record1     
declares this  fact2 but1 recognizing a 
difference between the writing of his   
day and  that on the earlier plates1 he 
attributed the change to the natural    
mutation through time1 and speaks of his
 own record and that of his  father1    
,mormon1 as being written in the        
reformed ,egyptian4#hej      #hdh ,i    
,nephi i1 #b4      #hdi ,mosiah i1 #d4  
#hej ,mormon ix1 #cb4    #db4 ,now      
consider the testimony of ,dr4 ,le      
,plongeon1 announcing his  discovery of 
a sacred alphabet among the ,mayas of   
,central ,america1  which he declares to

 be practically identical with the      
,egyptian  alphabet4 ,he states that the
 structure of the ,maya sacred language 
closely resembles that of the           
,egyptians2 and he boldly proclaims his 
conviction that the two nations derived 
their written language from  the same   
source4#hea ,another authority          
says3--,the eye of the  antiquarian     
cannot fail to be both attracted and    
fixed by evidence of  the existence of  
two great branches of the hieroglyphical
  language1--both having striking       
affinities with the ,egyptian1 and yet  
distinguished from it by characteristics
 perfectly ,american4#heb      #hea ,dr4
 ,august ,le ,plongeon1 in ,review of   
,reviews1 ,july1 #ahie4      #heb       
,quarterly ,review1 ,october1 #ahcf2    
abstracted in ,millennial    ,star1 vol4
 xxi1 p4 #dfg4    #dc4 ,but the         
,egyptian is not the only eastern       
language found to be  represented in the
 relics of ,american antiquities2 the   
,hebrew occurs  in this connection with 

at least equal significance4 ,that the  
,hebrew  tongue should have been used by
 ,lehi's descendants is most natural1   
inasmuch as they were of the ,house of  
,israel1 transferred to the  western    
continent directly from ,jerusalem4     
,that the ability to read  and write in 
that language continued with the        
,nephites until the time  of their      
extinction is evident from ,moroni's    
statement regarding the  language used  
on the plates of ,mormon3--,and now     
behold1 we have  written this record    
according to our knowledge1 in the      
characters  which are called among us   
the reformed ,egyptian being handed down
 and  altered by us according to our    
manner of speech4 ,and if our plates had
  been sufficiently large1 we should    
have written in ,hebrew2 but the        
,hebrew hath been altered by us         
also4#hec      #hec ,mormon ix1 #cb-cc4 
,in connection with this important      
subject    see articles entitled ,a     
,study in ,american-,hebraic ,names by  

,thos4    ,w4 ,brookbank1 ,improvement  
,era1 vol4 xx4    #dd4 ,the following   
instances are taken from an instructive 
array of  such1 brought together by     
,elder ,george ,reynolds4#hed ,several  
of the  early ,spanish writers claim    
that the natives of some portions of the
  land were found speaking a corrupt    
,hebrew4 ,las ,casas so affirms with    
regard to the inhabitants of the island 
of ,hayti4 ,lafitu wrote a  history     
wherein he maintained that the ,caribbee
 language was radically  ,hebrew4 ,isaac
 ,nasci1 a learned ,jew of ,surinam1    
says of the language of  the people of  
,guiana1 that all their substantives are
 ,hebrew4 ,spanish  historians record   
the early discovery of ,hebrew          
characters on the  western continent4   
,malvenda says that the natives of ,st4 
,michael had  tombstones1 which the     
,spaniards digged up1 with several      
ancient ,hebrew  inscriptions upon them4
      #hed ,reynolds' lecture1 ,the     
,language of the ,book of ,mormon4      

#de4 ,in all such writings1 the         
characters and the language are allied  
to the most ancient form of ,hebrew1 and
 show none of the vowel signs  and      
terminal letters which were introduced  
into the ,hebrew of the  eastern        
continent after the return of the ,jews 
from the ,babylonian  captivity4 ,this  
is consistent with the fact that ,lehi  
and his people  left ,jerusalem shortly 
before the captivity1 and therefore     
prior to  the introduction of the       
changes in the written language4#hee    
#hee ,see an instructive series of      
articles in ,improvement ,era1    ,salt 
,lake ,city1 vol4 xvii1 by ,thomas ,w4  
,brookbank1 entitled    ,hebrew ,idioms 
and ,analogies in the ,book of ,mormon4 
#df4 ,another ,test4--,let not the      
reader of the ,book of ,mormon content  
himself with such evidences as have been
 cited concerning the ,divine           
authenticity of this reputed scripture4 
,there is promised a surer and  a more  
effectual means of ascertaining the     

truth or falsity of this  marvelous     
volume4 ,like other scriptures1 the     
,book of ,mormon is to be  comprehended 
through the spirit of the scriptures1   
and this is  obtainable only as a gift  
from ,god4 ,but this gift1 priceless    
though it  be1 is promised unto all who 
would seek for it4 ,then to all let us  
commend the counsel of the last writer  
in the volume1 ,moroni1 the  solitary   
scribe who sealed the book1 afterward   
the angel of the record  who brought it 
forth3--,and when ye shall receive these
 things1 ,i  would exhort you that ye   
would ask ,god1 the ,eternal ,father1 in
 the  name of ,christ1 if these things  
are not true2 and if ye shall ask with  
a sincere heart1 with real intent1      
having faith in ,christ1 he will        
manifest the truth of it unto you1 by   
the power of the ,holy ,ghost2 and  by  
the power of the ,holy ,ghost ye may    
know the truth of all  things4#hef      
#hef ,moroni x1 #d-e4      ,,notes4     
#a4 ,diversity of ,literary ,style in   

the ,book of ,mormon4--,there       is a
 marked difference in the literary style
 of ,nephi and some of       the other  
earlier prophets from that of ,mormon   
and ,moroni4 ,mormon       and his son  
are more direct and take fewer words to 
express their       ideas than did the  
earlier writers2 at least their manner  
is1 to       most readers1 the more     
pleasing4 ,amos1 the son of ,jacob1 has 
also       a style peculiar to himself4 
,there is another noticeable fact       
that when original records or           
discourses1 such as the record of       
,limhi1 the sermons of ,alma1 ,amulek1  
etc41 the epistles of       ,helaman1   
and others1 are introduced into         
,mormon's abridgment1       words and   
expressions are used that appear nowhere
 else in the       ,book of ,mormon4    
,this diversity of style1 expression1   
and wording       is a very pleasing    
incidental testimony to the truth of the
 claim       made for the ,book of      
,mormon1--that it is a compilation of   

the       work of many writers4--,from  
,lectures on the ,book of ,mormon1 by   
,elder ,george ,reynolds4         #b4   
,mexican ,date of the ,deluge4--,in     
speaking of the time of the             
,deluge as given by the ,mexican author1
 ,ixtilxochitl1 ,elder ,george          
,reynolds says3--,there is a remarkable 
agreement between this       writer's   
statements and the ,book of ,genesis4   
,the time from the       ,fall to the   
,flood only differs sixty1 possibly only
 five years1       if the following     
statement in the ,book of ,doctrine and 
,covenants       7cvii1 #di7 regarding  
,enoch lengthens the chronology3 ,and he
 saw       the ,lord1 and he walked with
 him1 and was before his face           
continually2 and he walked with ,god    
#cfe years1 making him #dcj       years 
old when he was translated4 ,the same   
statement is made in       the ,pearl of
 ,great ,price1 ,moses vii1 #fg4--;,from
 lecture on       ,external ,evidences  
of the ,book of ,mormon1 by ,elder      

,george       ,reynolds4         #c4    
,ancient ,civilization in               
,america4--,that a civilization once    
flourished in these regions ,central    
,america and ,mexico much       higher  
than any the ,spanish conquerors found  
upon their arrival1       there can be  
no doubt4 ,by far the most important    
work that has       been done among the 
remains of the old ,maya civilization   
has been       carried on by the        
,peabody ,museum of ,harvard ,college1  
through a       series of expeditions it
 has sent to the buried city now called 
,copan1 in ,spanish ,honduras4 ,in a    
beautiful valley near the               
borderland of ,guatemala1 surrounded by 
steep mountains and       watered by a  
winding river1 the hoary city lies      
wrapped in the       sleep of ages4 ,the
 ruins at ,copan1 although in a more    
advanced       state of destruction than
 those of the ,maya cities of ,yucatan1 
have a general similarity to the latter 
in the design of the       buildings1   

and in the sculptures1 while the        
characters in the       inscriptions are
 essentially the same4 ,it would seem1  
therefore1       that ,copan was a city 
of the ,mayas2 but if so it must have   
been       one of their most ancient    
settlements1 fallen into decay long     
before the cities of ,yucatan reached   
their prime4 ,the ,maya                 
civilization was totally distinct from  
the ,aztec or ,mexican2 it       was an 
older and also a much higher            
civilization4--,henry ,c4       ,walsh1 
in article1 ,copan--a ,city of the      
,dead1 ,harper's ,weekly1               
,october1 #ahig4         ,baldwin in his
 valuable work ,ancient ,america        
incorporates the       conclusions      
announced by ,bradford in regard to the 
ancient       occupants of ,north       
,america1 as follows3--         ,that   
they were all of the same origin1       
branches of the same       race1 and    
possessed of similar customs and        
institutions4         ,that they were   

populous1 and occupied a great extent of
       territory4         ,that they had
 arrived at a considerable degree of    
civilization1       were associated in  
large communities1 and lived in         
extensive       cities4         ,that   
they possessed the use of many of the   
metals1 such as lead1       copper1     
gold1 and silver1 and probably the art  
of working in       them4         ,that 
they sculptured in stone1 and sometimes 
used that material       in the         
construction of their edifices4         
,that they had the knowledge of the arch
 of receding steps2 of       the art of 
pottery1 producing urns and utensils    
formed with       taste1 and constructed
 upon the principles of chemical        
composition2 and the art of             
brick-making4         ,that they worked 
the salt springs1 and manufactured salt4
         ,that they were an agricultural
 people1 living under the               
influence and protection of regular     
forms of governments4         ,that they

 possessed a decided system of religion1
 and a       mythology connected with   
astronomy1 which1 with its sister       
science1 geometry1 was in the hands of  
the priesthood4         ,that they were 
skilled in the art of fortification4    
,that the epoch of their original       
settlement in the ,united ,states       
is of great antiquity2 and that the only
 indications of their       origin to be
 gathered from the locality of their    
ruined       monuments1 point toward    
,mexico4--,baldwin1 ,ancient ,america1  
p4       #ef4         #d4 ,american     
,traditions concerning the              
,deluge4--,don ,francisco       ,munoz  
de la ,vega1 the ,bishop of that diocese
 7,chiapas71 certifies       in the     
prologue to his ',diocesan              
,constitutions1' declaring that       an
 ancient manuscript of the primitive    
,indians of that province1       who had
 learned the art of writing1 was in his 
record office1 who       retained the   
constant tradition that the father and  

founder of       their nation was named 
,teponahuale1 which signifies lord of   
the       hollow piece of wood2 and that
 he was present at the building of      
the ,great ,wall1 for so they named the 
,tower of ,babel2 and beheld       with 
his own eyes the confusion of language2 
after which event1       ,god1 the      
,creator1 commanded him to come to these
 extensive       regions1 and to divide 
them amongst mankind4--,lord            
,kingsborough1       ,mexican           
,antiquities1 vol4 viii1 p4 #be4        
,it is found in the histories of the    
,toltecs that this age and       first  
world1 as they call it1 lasted #a1gaf   
years3 that men were       destroyed by 
tremendous rains and lightnings from the
 sky1 and       even all the land1      
without the exception of anything1 and  
the       highest mountains1 were       
covered up and submerged in water       
fifteen       cubits 7caxtolmolatli72   
and here they added other fables of how 
men came to multiply from the few who   

escaped from this       destruction in a
 'toptlipetlocali2' that this word      
nearly       signifies a close chest2   
and how1 after men had multiplied1 they 
erected a very high 'zacuali1' which is 
to-day a tower of great       height1 in
 order to take refuge in it should the  
second world       7age7 be destroyed4  
,presently their languages were         
confused1 and1       not being able to  
understand each other1 they went to     
different       parts of the            
earth4--,the same1 vol4 ix1 p4 #cba4    
,the most important among the ,american 
traditions are the       ,mexican1 for  
they appear to have been definitely     
fixed by       symbolic and mnemonic    
paintings before any contact with       
,europeans4 ,according to these         
documents1 the ,noah of the ,mexican    
cataclysm was ,coxcox1 called by certain
 people ,teocipactli or       ,tezpi4   
,he had saved himself1 together with his
 wife ,xochiquetzal1       in a bark1   
or1 according to other traditions1 on a 

raft made of       cypress-wood         
7,cypressus disticha74 ,paintings       
retracing the       deluge of ,coxcox   
have been discovered among the ,aztecs1 
,miztecs1       ,zapotecs1 ,tlascaltecs1
 and ,mechoacaneses4 ,the tradition of  
the       latter is still more          
strikingly in conformity with the story 
as       we have it in ,genesis1 and in 
,chaldean sources4 ,it tells how        
,tezpi embarked in a spacious vessel    
with his wife1 his children1       and  
several animals1 and grain1 whose       
preservation was essential       to the 
subsistence of the human race4 ,when the
 great god       ,tezcatlipoca decreed  
that the waters should retire1 ,tezpi   
sent a       vulture from the bark4 ,the
 bird1 feeding on the carcases with     
which the earth was laden1 did not      
return4 ,tezpi sent out other           
birds1 of which the humming bird only   
came back1 with a leafy       branch in 
its beak4 ,then ,tezpi1 seeing that the 
country began to       vegetate1 left   

his bark on the mountain of             
,colhuacan4--,donnelly's ,atlantis1 p4  
#ii4         ,the tradition of a ,deluge
 was the received notion1 under some    
form or other1 of the most civilized    
people in the ,old ,world1 and       of 
the barbarians of the ,new4 ,the ,aztecs
 combined with this some                
particular circumstances of a more      
arbitrary character1       resembling   
the accounts of the east4 ,they believed
 that two       persons survived the    
,deluge1 a man named ,coxcox and his    
wife4       ,their heads are represented
 in ancient painting1 together with a   
boat floating on the waters at the foot 
of a mountain4 ,a dove is       also    
depicted1 with a hieroglyphical emblem  
of language in his       mouth1 which he
 is distributing to the children of     
,coxcox1 who       were born dumb4 ,the 
neighboring people of ,michoacan1       
inhabiting       the same high plains of
 the ,andes1 had a still further        
tradition1       that the boat in which 

,tegpi1 their ,noah1 escaped1 was filled
       with various kinds of animals and
 birds4 ,after some time a       vulture
 was sent out from it1 but remained     
feeding on the dead       bodies of the 
giants which had been left on the earth 
as the       waters subsided4 ,the      
little humming bird1 huitzitzilin1 was  
then sent forth1 and returned with a    
twig in his mouth4 ,the                 
coincidence of both these accounts with 
the ,hebrew and ,chaldean               
narratives is obvious4--,prescott1      
,conquest of ,mexico1 pp4       #dfc-fd4
         #e4 ,mexican ,tradition        
concerning the ,savior4--,the story of  
the       life of the ,mexican divinity1
 ,quetzalcoatl1 closely resembles       
that of the ,savior2 so closely1 indeed1
 that we can come to no       other     
conclusion than that ,quetzalcoatl and  
,christ are the same       being4 ,but  
the history of the former has been      
handed down to us       through an      
impure ,lamanitish source1 which has    

sadly disfigured       and perverted the
 original incidents and teachings of the
       ,savior's life and ministry4     
,regarding this god1 ,humboldt writes1  
',how truly surprising is it to find    
that the ,mexicans1 who seem       to   
have been unacquainted with the doctrine
 of the migration of       the soul and 
the ,metempsychosis should have believed
 in the       incarnation of the only   
,son of the supreme ,god1               
,tomacateuctli4       ,for ,mexican     
mythology1 speaking of no other ,son of 
,god except       ,quetzalcoatl1 who was
 born of ,chimelman1 the virgin of ,tula
       7without man71 by ,his breath    
alone1 by which may be signified ,his   
word or will1 when it was announced to  
,chimelman1 by the       celestial      
messenger whom ,he despatched to inform 
her that she       should conceive a    
son1 it must be presumed this was       
,quetzalcoatl1       who was the only   
son4 ,other authors might be adduced to 
show that       the ,mexicans believe   

that this ,quetzalcoatl was both ,god   
and man2       that ,he had1 previously 
to ,his incarnation1 existed from       
eternity1 and that ,he had been the     
,creator both of the world and          
man2 and that ,he had descended to      
reform the world by endurance1       and
 being ,king of ,tula1 was crucified for
 the sins of mankind1       etc41 as is 
plainly declared in the tradition of    
,yucatan1 and       mysteriously        
represented in the ,mexican             
paintings4'--,pres4 ,john       ,taylor1
 ,mediation and ,atonement1 p4 #bja4    
#g4 ,survival of the ,hebrew ,language  
among ,american ,tribes4--,it       is  
claimed that such survivals are numerous
 in the religious       songs and       
ceremonies of many of the tribes4 ,a    
number of writers       who visited or  
resided among the tribes of the northern
       continent1 assert that the words 
,yehovah1 ,yah1 ,ale1 and               
,hallelujah1 could be distinctly heard  
in these exercises4 ,laet       and     

,escarbotus assure us that they often   
heard the ,south ,american              
,indians repeat the sacred word         
,hallelujah4--,elder ,george            
,reynolds1 ,the ,language of the ,book  
of ,mormon4         #h4 ,the ,origin of 
the ,pre-,columbian ,civilization of    
,america4--,under this title an         
instructive article by ,g4 ,elliot      
,smith appeared in ,science vol4 xliv1  
pp4 #aij-aie 7,august #aa1       #aiaf74
 ,as to the interest accorded to the    
subject1 the author       says3 ,in the 
whole range of ethnological discussion  
perhaps no       theme has evoked       
livelier controversies and excited more 
widespread interest than the problems   
involved in the mysteries       of the  
wonderful civilization that revealed    
itself to the       astonished          
,spaniards on their first arrival in    
,america4         ,during the last      
century1 which can be regarded as       
covering the       whole period of      
scientific investigation in             

anthropology1 the       opinions of     
those who have devoted attention to such
 inquiries       have undergone the     
strangest fluctuations4 ,if one delves  
into the       anthropological journals 
of forty or fifty years ago they will be
       found to abound in careful       
studies on the part of many of the      
leading ethnologists of the time1       
demonstrating1 apparently in a          
convincing and unquestionable manner1   
the spread of curious       customs or  
beliefs from the ,old ,world to the     
,new4 ,the writer       decries the     
fallacy of assuming that similarities in
 customs and       culture of widely    
separated peoples can be explained on   
any other       basis than that of a    
common origin1 and proceeds as follows3 
,why       then1 it will be asked1 in   
the face of the overwhelming mass of    
definite and well-authenticated evidence
 clearly pointing to the       sources  
in the ,old ,world from which ,american 
civilization sprung1       do so many   

ethnologists refuse to accept the clear 
and obvious       meaning of the facts  
and resort to such childish subterfuges 
as ,i       have mentioned8 ,putting    
aside the influence of ,darwin's work1  
the       misunderstanding of which1 as 
,huxley remarked1 'led shallow          
persons to talk nonsense in the name of 
anthropological science1'       the main
 factor in blinding so many             
investigators to appreciate       the   
significance of the data they themselves
 so laboriously       collect results   
from a defect incidental to the nature  
of their       researches4444 ,the      
failure to recognize the fact1 recently 
demonstrated so convincingly by ,dr4    
,rivers1 that useful arts are           
often lost is another1 and perhaps the  
chief1 difficulty that has       stood  
in the way of an adequate appreciation  
of the history of       the spread of   
civilization4 ,dr4 ,smith presents an   
impressive       array of evidence      
pointing to the ,old ,world and         

specifically to       ,egypt1 as the    
source of many of the customs by which  
the ,american       aborigines are      
distinguished4 ,the article is          
accompanied by a map       showing      
probable routes of travel from the ,old 
,world to the ,new1       and two       
landing places on the west coast1 one in
 ,mexico and       another near the     
boundary common to ,peru and ,chile1    
from which       places the immigrants  
spread4          ,,lecture ,,xvi4       
,,revelation1 ,,past1 ,,present1 ,,and  
,,future4         ,article #i4--,we     
believe all that ,god has revealed1 all 
that ,he       does now reveal2 and we  
believe that ,he will yet reveal many   
great and important things pertaining to
 the kingdom of ,god4      #a4 ,what is 
,revelation8--,in a theological sense1  
the term  revelation signifies the      
making known of ,divine truth by        
communication from the heavens4 ,the    
,greek--apocalypsis1 which in  meaning  
closely corresponds with our word       

revelation1 expresses an  uncovering1 or
 a disclosure of that which had been    
wholly or in part  hidden1--the drawing 
aside of a veil4 ,an ,anglicized form of
 the ,greek  term--,apocalypse--is      
sometimes used to designate the         
particular  ,revelation given to ,john  
upon the ,isle of ,patmos1 the record of
 which  forms the last book of the ,new 
,testament as at present compiled4      
,divine revelation1 as illustrated by   
numerous examples in scripture1  may    
consist of disclosures or declarations  
concerning the attributes  of ,deity1 or
 of an expression of the ,divine will   
regarding the affairs  of men4    #b4   
,the word inspiration is sometimes      
invested with a signification  almost   
identical with that of revelation1      
though by its origin and  early usage it
 possessed a distinctive meaning4 ,to   
inspire is  literally to animate with   
the spirit2 a man is inspired when under
 the  influence of a power other than   
his own4 ,divine inspiration may be     

regarded as a lower or less             
comprehensive manifestation of the      
heavenly influence upon man than is     
shown in revelation4 ,the  difference   
therefore is rather one of degree than  
of kind4 ,by neither  of these directing
 processes does the ,lord deprive the   
human subject  of agency or             
individuality2#heg as is proved by the  
marked  peculiarities of style and      
method characterizing the several books 
of  holy writ4 ,yet1 in the giving of   
revelation1 a more direct influence  is 
exercised upon the human recipient of   
the ,god-given message than is  the case
 under the lesser1 though no less truly 
,divine1 effect of  inspiration4        
#heg ,see ,notes #a and #c4    #c4 ,the 
directness and plainness with which ,god
 may communicate with  man is dependent 
upon the purity and general fitness of  
the person4  ,one may be susceptible to 
inspiration in its lower and simpler    
phases  only2 another may be so         
thoroughly responsive to this power as  

to be  capable of receiving direct      
revelation2 and this higher influence   
again may manifest itself in varying    
degrees1 and with a greater or  lesser  
shrouding of the ,divine personality4   
,consider the ,lord's words  to ,aaron  
and ,miriam1 who had been guilty of     
disrespect toward ,moses  the chosen    
revelator3--,and the ,lord came down in 
the pillar of the  cloud1 and stood in  
the door of the tabernacle1 and called  
,aaron and  ,miriam3 and they both came 
forth4 ,and ,he said1 ,hear now my      
words3 ,if  there be a prophet among    
you1 ,i the ,lord will make myself known
 unto  him in a vision1 and will speak  
unto him in a dream4 ,my servant ,moses 
is not so1 who is faithful in all mine  
house4 ,with him will ,i speak  mouth to
 mouth1 even apparently1 and not in dark
 speeches2 and the  similitude of the   
,lord shall he behold4#heh      #heh    
,numb4 xii1 #e-h4    #d4 ,we have seen  
that among the most conclusive proofs of
 the  existence of a ,supreme ,being is 

that afforded by direct revelation  from
 ,god ,himself2 and that some knowledge 
of the attributes and  personality of   
,god is essential to any rational       
exercise of faith in  ,him4 ,we can but 
imperfectly respect an authority whose  
very existence  is a matter of          
uncertainty and conjecture with us2     
therefore1 if we  are to implicitly     
trust and truly love our ,creator1 we   
must know  something of ,him4 ,though   
the veil of mortality1 with all its     
thick  obscurity1 may shut the light of 
the ,divine presence from the sinful    
heart1 that separating curtain may be   
drawn aside and the heavenly  light may 
shine into the righteous soul4 ,by the  
listening ear1 attuned  to the celestial
 music1 the voice of ,god has been      
heard1 declaring ,his  personality and  
will2 to the eye that is freed from the 
motes and  beams of sin1 single in its  
search after truth1 the hand of ,god has
  been made visible2 within the soul    
properly purified by devotion and       

humility1 the mind of ,god has been     
revealed4    #e4 ,revelation is ,god's  
,means of ,communication4--,we have no  
record of  a period of time during which
 an authorized minister of ,christ has  
dwelt on earth1 when the ,lord did not  
make known to that servant the  ,divine 
will concerning the people4 ,as has been
 shown1 no man can take  upon himself1  
by his own act alone1 the honor and     
dignity of the  ministry4 ,to become an 
authorized minister of the ,gospel1 a   
man must  be called of ,god1 by         
prophecy1 and by the laying on of hands1
 by those  who are in authority1 and    
those in authority must have been       
similarly called4 ,when thus            
commissioned1 the chosen one speaks by a
  power greater than his own1 in        
preaching the gospel and in             
administering the ordinances thereof2 he
 may verily become a prophet  unto the  
people4 ,the ,lord has consistently     
recognized and honored his  servants so 
appointed4 ,he has magnified their      

office in proportion to  their own      
worthiness1 making them living oracles  
of the ,divine will4  ,this has been    
true of every dispensation of the work  
of ,god4    #f4 ,it is a privilege of   
the ,holy ,priesthood to commune with   
the  heavens1 and to learn the immediate
 will of the ,lord2 this communion  may 
be effected through the medium of dreams
 and visions1 through the  visitation of
 angels1 or by the higher endowment of  
face to face  communication with the    
,lord4#hei ,the inspired utterances of  
men who  speak by the power of the ,holy
 ,ghost are scripture unto the          
people4#hfj ,in specific terms the      
promise has been given that the  ,lord  
would recognize the medium of prophecy  
through which to make ,his  will and    
purposes known unto man3--,surely the   
,lord ,god will do  nothing but he      
revealeth his secret unto his servants  
the  prophets4#hfa ,not all men may     
attain the position of special          
revelators3--,the secret of the ,lord is

 with them that fear him1 and  he will  
show them his covenant4#hfb ,such men   
are oracles of truth2  privileged       
counselors1 friends of ,god4#hfc        
#hei ,see pp4 #ce-ch and ,lecture xii4  
#hfj ,doc4 and ,cov4 lxviii1 #d4        
#hfa ,amos iii1 #g2 see also ,i ,nephi  
xxii1 #b4      #hfb ,psalms xxv1 #ad4   
#hfc ,john xv1 #ad-ae4    #g4           
,revelation in ,ancient ,times4--,unto  
,adam1 the patriarch of the  race1 to   
whom were committed the keys of the     
first dispensation1 ,god  revealed ,his 
will and gave commandments4#hfd ,while  
living in a state  of child-like        
innocence prior to the ,fall1 ,adam had 
direct  communication with the ,lord2   
then1 through transgression the man was 
driven from ,eden2 but he took with him 
some remembrance of his former  happy   
state1 including a personal knowledge of
 the existence and  attributes of his   
,creator4 ,while sweating under the     
penalty fore-told  and fulfilled upon   
him1 tilling the earth in a struggle for

 bread1 he  continued to call upon the  
,lord4 ,as ,adam and his wife1 ,eve1    
prayed and  toiled1 they heard the voice
 of the ,lord from the way towards the  
garden of ,eden1 speaking unto them2 and
 they saw him not1 for they  were shut  
out from his presence2 and he gave unto 
them commandments4#hfe      #hfd ,gen4  
ii1 #ae-bj2 ,pearl of ,great ,price3    
,moses iii1 #af4      #hfe ,pearl of    
,great ,price3 ,moses v1 #d-e2 see also 
,doc4 and ,cov41    ,lect4 on ,faith ii1
 #ai-be4    #h4 ,the patriarchs who     
succeeded ,adam were blessed with the   
gift of  revelation in varying degrees2 
,enoch1 the seventh in the line of      
descent1 was particularly endowed4 ,we  
learn from the ,old ,testament  that    
,enoch walked with ,god1 and that when  
he had reached the age of  #cfe years he
 was not1 for ,god took him4#hff ,from  
the ,new ,testament  we learn something 
more regarding his ministry2#hfg and the
 ,pearl of  ,great ,price gives us a    
fuller account of the ,lord's dealings  

with this  chosen ,seer4#hfh ,unto him  
were made known the plan of redemption1 
and  the prospective history of the race
 down to the meridian of time1  thence  
to the millennium and the final         
judgment4 ,unto ,noah1 the ,lord        
revealed ,his intentions regarding the  
impending deluge2 by this  prophetic    
voice the people were warned and urged  
to repent2  disregarding it and         
rejecting the message1 they were        
destroyed in  their iniquity4 ,with     
,abraham1 ,god's covenant was           
established2 unto him  was revealed the 
course of the creative events4#hfi ,and 
this covenant  was confirmed unto ,isaac
 and ,jacob4      #hff ,gen4 v1 #ah-bd4 
#hfg ,jude #ad4      #hfh ,pearl of     
,great ,price3 ,moses vi1 vii4      #hfi
 ,gen4 xvii1 xviii2 ,pearl of ,great    
,price3 ,book of ,abraham4    #i4       
,through revelation1 ,god commissioned  
,moses to lead ,israel from  bondage4   
,from the burning bush on ,horeb1 the   
,lord declared to the man  thus chosen1 

,i am the ,god of thy father1 the ,god  
of ,abraham1 the ,god  of ,isaac1 and   
the ,god of ,jacob4#hgj ,in all the     
troublous scenes  between ,moses and    
,pharaoh1 the ,lord continued ,his      
communications unto  ,his servant1 who  
appeared amidst the glory of the ,divine
 endowment1 a  veritable ,god unto the  
heathen king4#hga ,and throughout the   
wearisome  forty years' journeying in   
the wilderness1 the ,lord ceased not to 
honor ,his chosen prophet4 ,so may we   
trace the line of revelators1--men  who 
have stood1 each in his time1 as the    
medium between ,god and the  people1    
receiving instruction from the source   
,divine1 and transmitting  it to the    
masses1--from ,moses to ,joshua1 and on 
through the ,judges to  ,david and      
,solomon1 thence to ,john1 who was the  
immediate fore-runner  of the ,messiah4 
#hgj ,exodus iii1 #b-f4      #hga       
,exodus iv1 #af2 vii1 #a4    #aj4       
,christ ,himself was a                  
,revelator4--,notwithstanding ,his      

personal  authority1 ,god though ,he had
 been and was1 while the ,christ lived  
as a  man among men1 ,he declared ,his  
work to be that of ,one greater than    
,himself1 by whom ,he had been sent1 and
 from whom ,he received  instructions4  
,note ,his words3--,for ,i have not     
spoken of myself2 but  the ,father which
 sent me1 he gave me a commandment1 what
 ,i should say1  and what ,i should     
speak4 ,and ,i know that his commandment
 is life  everlasting3 whatsoever ,i    
speak therefore1 even as the ,father    
said  unto me1 so ,i speak4#hgb         
,further3 ,i can of mine own self do    
nothing3 as ,i hear1 ,i judge3 and my   
judgment is just2 because ,i seek  not  
mine own will1 but the will of the      
,father which hath sent  me4#hgc ,and   
again1 ,the words that ,i speak unto you
 ,i speak not of  myself3 but the       
,father that dwelleth in me1 he doeth   
the works4444 ,and  as the ,father gave 
me commandment1 even so do ,i4#hgd      
#hgb ,john xii1 #di-ej4      #hgc ,john 

v1 #cj4      #hgd ,john xiv1 #aj1 #ca4  
#aa4 ,the ,apostles likewise1 left to   
bear the burden of the ,church  after   
the departure of the ,master1 looked to 
heaven for guidance1  expected and      
received the word of revelation to      
direct them in their  exalted ministry4 
,paul writing to the ,corinthians       
said3--,but ,god hath  revealed them    
divine truths unto us by his ,spirit3   
for the ,spirit  searcheth all things1  
yea1 the deep things of ,god4 ,for what 
man  knoweth the things of a man1 save  
the spirit of man which is in him8  even
 so the things of ,god knoweth no man1  
but the ,spirit of ,god4 ,now  we have  
received1 not the spirit of the world1  
but the ,spirit which is  of ,god2 that 
we might know the things that are freely
 given to us of  ,god4#hge      #hge ,i 
,corinthians ii1 #aj-ab4    #ab4 ,john1 
also1 declares that the book which is   
known specifically  as the ,revelation  
was not written of his own wisdom1 but  
that it  is3--,the ,revelation of ,jesus

 ,christ1 which ,god gave unto him1 to  
shew  unto his servants things which    
must shortly come to pass2 and he sent  
and signified it by his angel unto his  
servant ,john4#hgf      #hgf ,rev4 i1   
#a4    #ac4 ,continual ,revelation      
,necessary4--,the scriptures are        
conclusive  as to the fact that1 from   
,adam to ,john the ,revelator1 ,god     
directed the  affairs of ,his people by 
personal communication through chosen   
servants4 ,as the written word--the     
record of revelation previously         
given--grew with time1 that became a law
 unto the people2 but in no  period was 
that deemed sufficient4 ,while the      
revelations of the past  have ever been 
indispensable as guides to the people1  
showing forth1  as they do1 the plan and
 purpose of ,god's dealings under       
particular  conditions1 they may not be 
universally and directly applicable to  
the  circumstances of succeeding times4 
,many of the revealed laws are of       
general application to all men in all   

ages2 e4g41 the commandments  ,thou     
shalt not steal1 ,thou shalt not kill1  
,thou shalt not bear  false witness1 and
 other injunctions regarding the duty of
 man toward  his fellows1 most of which 
are so plainly just as to be approved by
  the human conscience1 even without the
 direct word of ,divine command4  ,other
 laws may be equally general in         
application1 yet they derive  their     
validity as ,divine ordinances from the 
fact that they have been                
authoritatively instituted as such2 as  
examples of this class1 we may  consider
 the requirements concerning the        
sanctity of the ,sabbath2 the  necessity
 of baptism as a means of securing      
forgiveness of sins2 the  ordinances of 
confirmation1 the sacrament1 etc4       
,revelations of yet  another kind are on
 record1 such as have been given to meet
 the  conditions of particular times2   
these may be regarded as special1 or    
circumstantial revelations2 e4g41 the   
instructions to ,noah regarding  the    

building of the ark and the warning of  
the people2 the requirement  made of    
,abraham that he leave the land of his  
nativity and sojourn in  a strange      
country2 the command to ,moses1 and     
through him to ,israel1  relative to the
 exodus from ,egypt2 the revelations    
given to ,lehi  directing the departure 
of his company from ,jerusalem1 their   
journeying in the wilderness1 the       
building of a ship1 and their voyage  on
 the great waters to another hemisphere4
    #ad4 ,it is at once unreasonable1   
and directly contrary to our  conception
 of the unchangeable justice of ,god1 to
 believe that ,he will  bless the       
,church in one dispensation with a      
present living revelation  of ,his will1
 and in another leave the ,church1 to   
which ,he gives ,his  name1 to live as  
best it may according to the laws of a  
by-gone age4  ,true1 through apostasy1  
the authority of the priesthood may have
 been  taken from the earth for a       
season1 leaving the people in a         

condition  of darkness1 with the windows
 of heaven shut against them2 but at    
such  times1 ,god has recognized no     
earthly ,church as ,his own1 nor any    
prophet to declare with authority ,thus 
saith the ,lord4    #ae4 ,in support of 
the doctrine that revelation specially  
adapted to  existing conditions is      
characteristic of ,god's dealings with  
,his  people1 we have the fact of laws  
having been ordained and subsequently   
repealed1 when a more advanced stage of 
the ,divine plan had been  reached4     
,thus1 the law of ,moses#hgg was        
strictly binding upon ,israel  from the 
time of the exodus to that of ,christ's 
ministry2 but its  repeal was declared  
by the ,savior ,himself1#hgh and a      
higher law than  that of carnal         
commandments1 which had been given      
because of  transgression1 was          
instituted in its stead4      #hgg ,exo4
 xxi2 ,lev4 i2 ,deut4 xii4      #hgh    
,matt4 v1 #ag-dh4    #af4 ,from the     
scriptures cited1 and from numerous     

other assurances of  holy writ1 it is   
evident that continual revelation has   
ever been  characteristic of the living 
,church4 ,it is equally plain that      
revelation is essential to the existence
 of the ,church in an organized  state  
on the earth4 ,if to have authority to  
preach the ,gospel1 and  administer in  
the ordinances of the same1 a man must  
be called of ,god1  by prophecy#hgi it  
is evident that in the absence of direct
  revelation1 the ,church would be left 
without authorized officers1 and  would1
 in consequence1 become extinct4 ,the   
prophets and patriarchs of  old1 the    
judges1 the priests1 and every          
authorized servant from ,adam  to       
,malachi1 were called by direct         
revelation manifested through the       
special word of prophecy4 ,this was true
 also of ,john the ,baptist1#hhj  of    
,christ ,himself1 and of the            
apostles1#hha and lesser officers#hhb   
of the ,church1 as long as an           
organization recognized of ,god remained

  on the earth4 ,without the gift of    
continual revelation there can be no    
authorized ministry on the earth2 and   
without officers duly  commissioned     
there can be no ,church of ,christ4     
#hgi ,see ,lecture x1 page #ahd4        
#hhj ,luke i1 #ac-ah4      #hha ,john   
xv2 ,acts i1 #ab-bf4      #hhb ,acts xx1
 #bh2 ,i ,tim4 iv1 #ad2 ,titus i1 #e4   
#ag4 ,revelation is essential to the    
,church1 not only for the proper        
calling and ordination of its ministers1
 but also that the officers so  chosen  
may be guided in their                  
ministrations3--to teach with authority 
the doctrines of salvation2 to admonish1
 to encourage1 and if  necessary to     
reprove the people2 and to declare unto 
them by prophecy  the purposes and will 
of ,god respecting the ,church1 present 
and  future4 ,the promise of salvation  
is not limited by time1 place1 or       
persons4 ,so taught ,peter on ,pentecost
 day1 assuring the multitude of  their  
eligibility to blessing3--,for the      

promise is unto you1 said  he1 and to   
your children1 and to all that are afar 
off1 even as many  as the ,lord our ,god
 shall call4#hhc ,salvation1 with all   
the gifts of  ,god1 was of old for ,jew 
and ,greek alike2#hhd the same ,lord    
over all1  rich unto those that call    
upon ,him1 without difference4#hhe      
#hhc ,acts ii1 #ci4      #hhd ,rom4 x1  
#ab2 ,gal4 iii1 #bh2 ,col4 iii1 #aa4    
#hhe ,rom4 iii1 #bb4    #ah4 ,alleged   
,objections in ,scripture4--,the        
opponents of the doctrine  of continual 
revelation quote1 with gross perversion 
of meaning1  certain scriptural passages
 to sustain their heresy2 among such    
scriptures are the following4 ,the words
 of ,john with which he  approaches the 
conclusion of his book are these3--,for 
,i testify unto  every man that heareth 
the words of the prophecy of this book1 
,if any  man shall add unto these       
things1 ,god shall add unto him the     
plagues  that are written in this book3 
,and if any man shall take away from the

  words of the book of this prophecy1   
,god shall take away his part out  of   
the book of life1 and out of the holy   
city1 and from the things  which are    
written in this book4#hhf ,to apply     
these sayings to the  ,bible as it was  
afterward compiled is wholly            
unjustified1 for surely  ,john did not  
write with a knowledge that his book    
would be the  concluding section of any 
such compilation of the scriptures as we
 now  possess in our ,bible4 ,john had  
reference to his own words1 which1      
having come to him by revelation1 were  
sacred2 and to alter such1 by  omission 
or addition1 would be to modify the     
words of ,god4 ,the sin of  altering any
 other part of the revealed word would  
be equally great4  ,moreover1 in this   
oft-quoted passage1 no intimation is    
given that the  ,lord may not add to or 
take from the word therein revealed2 the
  declaration is that no man shall      
change the record and escape the        
penalty4      #hhf ,rev4 xxii1 #ah-ai2  

see also ,doc4 and ,cov4 xx1 #ce4       
#ai4 ,a similar injunction against      
altering the message of ,divine  command
 was uttered by ,moses1 over fifteen    
centuries before the date  of ,john's   
writing2#hhg and with a similarly       
restricted application4  ,another       
alleged objection to modern revelation  
is offered in ,paul's  words to         
,timothy1 regarding the holy scriptures 
which are able to  make thee wise unto  
salvation1#hhh and which are profitable 
for  doctrine1 for reproof1 for         
correction1 for instruction in          
righteousness1 that the man of ,god may 
be perfect1 thoroughly  furnished unto  
all good works4#hhi ,and the remarks of 
the apostle to  the elders at ,ephesus  
are quoted with the same intent2 the    
passage  reads3 ,ye know 444 how ,i kept
 back nothing that was profitable unto  
you1 but have shewed you1 and have      
taught you publicly1 and from house  to 
house4444 ,for ,i have not shunned to   
declare unto you all the  counsel of    

,god4#hij ,it is argued that if the     
scriptures known to  ,timothy were      
all-sufficient to make him wise unto    
salvation1 and the  man of ,god perfect1
 thoroughly furnished unto all good     
works1 the  same scriptures are         
sufficient for all men to the end of    
time2 and  that if the doctrines        
preached to the ,ephesian elders        
represented all  the counsel of ,god1 no
 further counsel is to be expected4 ,in 
reply1  it is perhaps sufficient to say 
that the objectors to continued         
revelation who defend their unscriptural
 position by strained  interpretation of
 such passages1 if consistent1 would be 
compelled to  reject all revelation     
given through the apostles after the    
date of  ,paul's utterances1 including  
even the ,revelation of ,john4      #hhg
 ,deut4 iv1 #b2 xii1 #cb4      #hhh ,,ii
 ,tim4 iii1 #ae4      #hhi ,,ii ,tim4   
iii1 #af-ag4      #hij ,acts xx1 #ah-bg4
    #bj4 ,equally absurd is the         
assertion that ,christ's dying          

exclamation1  ,it is finished1 meant    
that revelation was at an end2 for we   
find the  same ,jesus afterward         
revealing ,himself1 as the resurrected  
,lord1 to  ,his apostles1 promising them
 further revelation1#hia and assuring   
them that ,he would be with them even   
unto the end4#hib ,and1 moreover1  were 
the words of the ,crucified ,one        
susceptible of any such intent1  the    
apostles who taught by revelation as    
long as they lived must be  classed as  
impostors4      #hia ,luke xxiv1 #di4   
#hib ,matt4 xxviii1 #bj2 see also ,mark 
xvi1 #bj4    #ba4 ,to justify the       
anathema with which the opponents of    
modern  revelation seek to persecute    
those who believe in the continual flow 
of ,god's word to ,his ,church1 the     
following prophecy of ,zechariah is     
quoted3--,and it shall come to pass in  
that day1 saith the ,lord of  hosts1    
that ,i will cut off the names of the   
idols out of the land1 and  they shall  
no more be remembered3 and also ,i will 

cause the prophets  and the unclean     
spirit to pass out of the land4 ,and it 
shall come to  pass1 that when any shall
 yet prophesy1 then his father and his  
mother  that begat him shall say unto   
him1 ,thou shalt not live2 for thou     
speakest lies in the name of the ,lord3 
and his father and his mother  that     
begat him shall thrust him through when 
he prophesieth4 ,and it  shall come to  
pass in that day1 that the prophets     
shall be ashamed  every one of his      
vision1 when he hath prophesied4#hic    
,the day here  spoken of appears to be  
yet future1 for surely the idols and the
  unclean spirits still have influence2 
and1 moreover1 the fact that  the       
prophets here intended are false ones is
 shown by ,zechariah's  associating them
 with idols and unclean spirits4        
#hic ,zech4 xiii1 #b-d4    #bb4 ,such   
attempts to oppose the doctrine of      
continued revelation as  have been made 
on the authority of the foregoing       
scriptures are  pitiably futile2 they   

carry their own refutation1 and leave   
untouched  the truth1 that belief in    
modern revelation is wholly reasonable  
and  strictly scriptural4#hid      #hid 
,see ,note #b4    #bc4 ,modern          
,revelation4--,in the light of our      
knowledge concerning the  constancy of  
revelation as an essential              
characteristic of the ,church1  it is as
 reasonable to look for new revelation  
today as to believe in  the existence of
 the gift during ancient times4 ,where  
there is no  vision the people          
perish1#hie was declared of old2 and    
surely it is  proper to include with    
vision1 revelation also1 since the      
latter gift  is often manifested through
 dreams and visions4 ,nevertheless1 in  
spite  of abundant and most explicit    
testimony of scripture1 the so-called   
,christian sects of the day are         
practically a unit in declaring that    
revelation ceased with the apostles1 or 
even before their time2 that  further   
communication from the heavens is       

unnecessary2 and that to  expect such is
 unscriptural4 ,in assuming this        
position1 the discordant  sects of the  
day are but following the path that was 
trodden by  unbelievers in earlier      
times4 ,the recreant ,jews rejected the 
,savior1  because ,he came to them with 
a new revelation4 ,had they not ,moses  
and  the prophets to guide them8 what   
more could they need8 ,they openly      
boasted ,we are ,moses' disciples1 and  
added ,we know that ,god spake  unto    
,moses2 as for this fellow1 we know not 
from whence he is4#hif      #hie ,prov4 
xxix1 #ah4      #hif ,john ix1 #bh-bi4  
#bd4 ,the scriptures1 far from          
predicting a cessation of revelation in 
latter times1 expressly declare the     
continuation of that gift among  the    
people of the ,lord4 ,john foresaw the  
restoration of the gospel in  the last  
days1 through angelic                   
ministration3--,and ,i saw another angel
  fly in the midst of heaven1 having the
 everlasting gospel to preach  unto them

 that dwell on the earth1 and to every  
nation1 and kindred1  and tongue1 and   
people4#hig ,he knew further that the   
voice of ,god  would be heard in the    
last days1 calling ,his people from     
,babylon to a  place of safety3--,and ,i
 heard another voice from heaven1       
saying1 ,come  out of her1 my people1   
that ye be not partakers of her sins1   
and that  ye receive not of her         
plagues4#hih      #hig ,rev4 xiv1 #f4   
#hih ,rev4 xviii1 #d4    #be4 ,the ,book
 of ,mormon is not less explicit in     
declaring that direct  revelation shall 
abide as a blessing upon the ,church in 
the latter  days4 ,note the prediction  
given through ,ether the ,jaredite2 the 
context shows that the time spoken of is
 that of the last  dispensation3--,and  
in that day1 they the ,gentiles shall   
exercise  faith in me1 saith the ,lord1 
even as the brother of ,jared did1 that 
they may become sanctified in me1 then  
will ,i manifest unto them the  things  
which the brother of ,jared saw1 even to

 the unfolding unto them  all my        
revelations1 saith ,jesus ,christ1 the  
,son of ,god1 the ,father of  the       
heavens and of the earth1 and all things
 that in them are4444 ,but  he that     
believeth these things which ,i have    
spoken1 him will ,i visit  with the     
manifestations of my ,spirit1 and he    
shall know and bear  record4#hii        
#hii ,ether iv1 #g1 #aa4    #bf4 ,lehi1 
instructing his sons1 quoted a prophecy 
of ,joseph the son  of ,jacob1 which is 
not recorded in the compilation of books
 known as  the ,bible2 it has special   
reference to the work of ,joseph the    
modern  prophet3--,yea1 ,joseph truly   
said1 ,thus saith the ,lord unto me3 ,a 
choice seer will ,i raise up out of the 
fruit of thy loins2 and he  shall be    
esteemed highly among the fruit of thy  
loins4 ,and unto him  will ,i give      
commandment1 that he shall do a work for
 the fruit of thy  loins1 his brethren1 
which shall be of great worth unto them1
 even to  the bringing of them to the   

knowledge of the covenants which ,i have
  made with thy fathers4#ijj      #ijj  
,,ii ,nephi iii1 #g4    #bg4 ,nephi1 the
 son of ,lehi1 spoke by prophecy of the 
last days1 in  which the ,gentiles      
should receive a testimony of ,christ   
with many  signs and wondrous           
manifestations3--,he manifesteth himself
 unto all  those who believe in him1 by 
the power of the ,holy ,ghost2 yea1 unto
  every nation1 kindred1 tongue1 and    
people1 working mighty miracles1  signs1
 and wonders1 among the children of men1
 according to their  faith4 ,but behold1
 ,i prophesy unto you concerning the    
last days2  concerning the days when the
 ,lord ,god shall bring these things    
forth  unto the children of men4#ija    
#ija ,,ii ,nephi xxvi1 #ac-ad4    #bh4  
,the same prophet1 apostrophizing with  
warning words the  unbelievers of the   
last days1 predicted the coming forth of
 additional  scriptures3--,and it shall 
come to pass1 that the ,lord ,god shall 
bring  forth unto you the words of a    

book1 and they shall be the words of    
them which have slumbered4 ,and behold  
the book shall be sealed3 and in  the   
book shall be a revelation from ,god1   
from the beginning of the  world to the 
ending thereof4#ijb      #ijb ,,ii      
,nephi xxvii1 #f-g4    #bi4 ,the        
,savior1 addressing the ,nephites1      
repeated the prediction of  ,malachi    
concerning the revelation to be given   
through ,elijah1 before  the day of the 
,lord's second coming3--,behold1 ,i will
 send you ,elijah  the prophet before   
the coming of the great and dreadful day
 of the  ,lord2 and he shall turn the   
heart of the fathers to the children1   
and  the heart of the children to their 
fathers1 lest ,i come and smite the     
earth with a curse4#ijc      #ijc ,,iii 
,nephi xxv1 #e-f2 see also ,mal4 iv1 #e1
 #f2 pp4 #aa1 #aec-aed    this book2 and
 for the fulfillment1 ,doc4 and ,cov4   
cx1 #ac4    #cj4 ,by revelation in the  
present day1 the ,lord has confirmed and
  fulfilled ,his early promises1 and has

 specifically rebuked those who  would  
close ,his mouth1 and estrange ,him from
 ,his people4 ,his voice is  heard      
to-day1 proving to the world that the   
,holy ,scriptures are true1  and that   
,god does inspire men and call them to  
,his holy work in this  age and         
generation1 as well as in generations of
 old1 thereby showing  that ,he is the  
same ,god1 yesterday1 to-day1 and       
forever4#ijd      #ijd ,doc4 and ,cov4  
xx1 #aa-ab4 ,see also i1 #aa2 xi1 #be2  
xx1 #bf-bh2    xxxv1 #h2 xlii1 #fa2 l1  
#ce2 lix1 #d2 lxx1 #c2 and the entire   
volume1    as evidence of the           
continuation of revelation in the       
,church today4    #ca4 ,revelation ,yet 
,future4--,in view of the demonstrated  
facts that  revelation between ,god and 
man has ever been and is a              
characteristic  of the ,church of       
,christ1 it is reasonable to await with 
confident  expectation the coming of    
other messages from heaven1 even until  
the  end of man's probation on earth4   

,the ,church is1 and will continue to   
be1 as truly founded on the rock of     
revelation as it was in the day of      
,christ's prophetic blessing upon       
,peter1 who by this gift of ,god was    
able to testify of his ,lord's          
divinity4#ije ,current revelation is    
equally plain with that of former days1 
in predicting the yet future            
manifestations of ,god through this     
appointed channel4#ijf ,the canon  of   
scripture is still open2 many lines1    
many precepts1 are yet to be  added2    
revelation1 surpassing in importance and
 glorious fulness any  that has been    
recorded1 will yet be given to the      
,church and be  declared to the world4  
#ije ,matt4 xvi1 #af-ai2 ,mark viii1    
#bg-cj2 ,luke ix1 #ah-bj2 ,john vi1     
#fi4      #ijf ,doc4 and ,cov4 xx1 #ce2 
xxxv1 #h2 and the ,doc4 and ,cov4       
references last cited4    #cb4 ,what    
shadow of justification or pretense of  
consistency can man  claim for denying  
the power and purposes of ,god to reveal

 ,himself and  ,his will in these days  
as ,he assuredly did in former times8   
,in every  department of human knowledge
 and activity1 in everything for which  
man arrogates to himself glory1 he      
prides himself in the  possibilities of 
enlargement and growth2 yet in the      
,divine science of  theology1 he holds  
that progress is impossible1 and        
advancement  forbidden4 ,against such   
heresy and blasphemous denial of the    
,divine  prerogatives and power1 ,god   
has proclaimed ,his edict in words of   
terrible import3--,wo be unto him that  
shall say ,we have received the  word of
 ,god1 and we need no more of the word  
of ,god for we have  enough4#ijg ,deny  
not the spirit of revelation1 nor the   
spirit of  prophecy1 for wo unto him    
that denieth these things4#ijh      #ijg
 ,,ii ,nephi xxviii1 #bi2 see also #cj1 
and xxix1 #f-ab4      #ijh ,doc4 and    
,cov4 xi1 #be4      ,,notes4         #a4
 ,freedom under ,inspiration4--,faussett
 has this to say of       man's agency  

under the influence of                  
inspiration3--,inspiration       does   
not divest the writers of their several 
individualities of       style1 just as 
the inspired teachers in the early      
,church were not       passive machines 
in prophesying 7,i ,cor4 xiv1 #cb74     
',where the       ,spirit of the ,lord  
is1 there is liberty' 7,,ii ,cor4 iii1  
#ag74 ,their       will became one with 
,god's will2 ,his ,spirit acted on their
       spirit1 so that their            
individuality had full play in the      
sphere       of ,his inspiration4 ,as to
 religious truths1 the collective       
,scriptures have unity of authorship2 as
 to other matters1 their                
authorship is palpably as manifold as   
the writers4 ,the variety is            
human1 the unity ,divine4 ,if the four  
evangelists were mere       machines1   
narrating the same events in the same   
order and words1       they would cease 
to be independent witnesses4 ,their very
       discrepancies 7only seeming ones7

 disprove collusion4444 ,the            
slight variations in the decalogue      
between ,exo4 xx and its                
repetition ,deut4 v1 and in ,ps4 xviii  
compared with ,,ii ,sam4 xxii1       in 
,ps4 xiv compared with ,ps4 liii1 and in
 ,new ,testament       quotations of    
,old ,testament 7sometimes from the     
,septuagint1 which       varies from the
 ,hebrew1 sometimes from neither in     
every word71       all prove the        
spirit-produced independence of the     
sacred writers1       who1 under ,divine
 guidance and sanction1 presented on    
different       occasions the same      
substantial truths under different      
aspects1       the one complementing the
 other4--,bible ,cyclopedia1 ,a4 ,r4    
,faussett1 p4 #cjh4         #b4 ,the    
,doctrine of no ,further ,revelation1   
,new and ,false4--,the       history of 
the people of ,god1 from the earliest   
ages1 shows that       continued        
revelation was the only way by which    
they could       possibly learn all     

their duties1 or ,god's will concerning 
them4       ,they never once thought    
that the revelations given to previous  
generations were sufficient to guide    
them into every duty4 ,a       doctrine 
which rejects new revelation is a new   
doctrine1 invented       by the devil   
and his agents during the second century
 after       ,christ2 it is a doctrine  
in direct opposition to the one believed
       in and enjoyed by the saints in  
all ages4 ,now1 to subvert and do       
away a doctrine four thousand years old1
 and introduce a new one       in its   
stead can only be done by divine        
authority4444 ,as the       doctrine1   
then1 of continued revelation is one    
that was always       believed by the   
saints1 it ought not to be required of  
any man to       prove the necessity of 
the continuation of such a doctrine4 ,if
 it       were a new doctrine1 never    
before introduced into the world1 it    
would become necessary to establish its 
divine origin2 but       inasmuch as it 

is only the continuation of an old      
doctrine1       established thousands of
 years ago1 and which has never ceased  
to       be believed and enjoyed by the 
saints1 it would be the greatest        
presumption to call it in question at   
this late period2 and hence       it    
would seem almost superfluous to        
undertake to prove the       necessity  
of its continuance4 ,instead of being   
required to do       this1 all people   
have the right to call upon the         
new-revelation       deniers of the last
 seventeen centuries to bring forward   
their       strong reasonings and       
testimonies for breaking in upon the    
long-established order of heaven1 and   
introducing a new doctrine       so     
entirely different from the old4 ,if    
they wish their new       doctrine to be
 believed1 let them demonstrate it to be
 of divine       origin1 or else all    
people will be justified in rejecting   
it1 and       clinging to the           
old4--,orson ,pratt1 ,divine            

,authenticity of the       ,book of     
,mormon1 ,i 7#b7 #ae1 #af4         #c4  
,inspiration a ,sure                    
,guide4--,inspiration has been defined  
to       be the 'actuating energy of the
 ,holy ,spirit1 in whatever degree      
or manner it may have been exercised1   
guided by which the human       agents  
chosen by ,god have officially          
proclaimed his will by word       of    
mouth or have committed to writing the  
several portions of the       ,bible4'  
,by plenary inspiration we mean that    
this energy was so       fully and      
perfectly exercised1 as to make the     
teaching of the       sacred writers to 
be1 in the most literal sense of the    
words1       ,god's teaching1 as        
proceeding from him1 truly expressing   
his       mind1 and bearing with it the 
sanction of his authority4 ,by          
verbal inspiration we mean that this    
energy was not exhausted       in       
suggesting to the writers the matter of 
,scripture1 and then       leaving them 

to themselves to convey1 in their own   
manner and       after an exclusively   
human sort1 what had been supernaturally
       suggested2 but that they were    
assisted and guided in the              
conveyance of the truth received4444    
,when the doctrine of plenary       and 
verbal inspiration is thus disentangled 
from the       misapprehensions which   
have been entertained of it1 it presents
       in no point of view any just     
ground of objection4 ,it is             
consistent with all the conclusions     
relative to the ,word which       modern
 scholarship has succeeded in           
establishing2 for the dreams       of   
the 'higher criticism' are little more  
than the vagaries of       arbitrary    
caprice2 and it is much to be regretted 
that they have       been honored with a
 deference wholly undeserved1 and have  
been       rashly placed side by side   
with the valuable and precious results  
of genuine criticism4 ,these results1 in
 many respects1 point       decisively  

in the direction of plenary inspiration1
 when the       doctrine itself is      
rightly understood1 as supplying the    
only       consistent and logical ground
 on which the authority of the          
canonical writings can be safely        
based4--,cassell's ,bible               
,dictionary1 pp4 #eei1 #efa4         #d4
 ,is it unreasonable1 is it             
unphilosophical1 thus to look for       
additional light and knowledge8 ,shall  
religion be the one       department of 
human thought and effort in which       
progression is       impossible8 ,what  
would we say of the chemist1 the        
astronomer1 the       physicist1 or the 
geologist1 who would proclaim that no   
further       discovery or revelation of
 scientific truth is possible1 or who   
would declare that the only occupation  
open to students of       science is to 
con the books of by-gone times and to   
apply the       principles long ago made
 known1 for none others shall ever be   
discovered8 ,the chief motive impelling 

to research and       investigation is  
the conviction that to knowledge and    
wisdom       there is no end4           
',mormonism' affirms that all wisdom is 
of ,god1       that the halo of his     
glory is intelligence1 and that man has 
not       yet learned all there is to   
learn of him and his ways4 ,we hold     
that the doctrine of continuous         
revelation from ,god is not less        
philosophical and scientific than       
scriptural4--,the ,philosophy       of  
,mormonism4 ,the ,author1 in            
,improvement ,era1 ,vol4 iv1 p4         
#dfh4          ,,lecture ,,xvii4        
,,the ,,dispersion ,,of ,,israel4       
,article #aj4--,we believe in the       
literal gathering of ,israel and        
in the restoration of the ,ten ,tribes1 
etc4      #a4 ,israel4--,the term       
,israel1 in its original sense1         
expressed the  thought of one who had   
succeeded in his supplication before the
 ,lord2  soldier of ,god1 one who       
contends with ,god1 a prince of ,god1   

are  among the common ,english          
renderings4 ,the name first appears in  
sacred  writ as a title conferred by the
 ,lord upon ,jacob1 when the latter     
prevailed in his determination to secure
 a blessing from his heavenly  visitor  
in the wilderness1 receiving the promise
 ,thy name shall be  called no more     
,jacob1 but ,israel1 for as a prince    
hast thou power with  ,god and with men1
 and hast prevailed4#iji ,we read       
further3--,and ,god  appeared unto      
,jacob again1 when he came out of       
,padan-aram1 and blessed  him1 and ,god 
said unto him1 ,thy name is ,jacob2 thy 
name shall not be  called anymore       
,jacob1 but ,israel shall be thy name3  
and he called his  name ,israel4#iaj    
#iji ,gen4 xxxii1 #bh4      #iaj ,gen4  
xxxv1 #i-aj4    #b4 ,but the combined   
name and title thus bestowed under      
conditions of  such solemn dignity soon 
acquired a wider application1 and came  
in  course of time to represent the     
entire posterity of ,abraham1 through   

,isaac and ,jacob1#iaa with each of whom
 the ,lord had covenanted1 that  through
 his descendants should all nations of  
the earth be  blessed4#iab ,the name of 
the individual patriarch thus grew into 
the  designation of a nation1 including 
the twelve tribes2 who delighted in  the
 title ,israelites1 or children of      
,israel4 ,by such names they were       
collectively known during the dark days 
of their ,egyptian  bondage2#iac        
throughout the four decades of the      
exodus and the  journey to the land of  
promise2#iad so on through the period of
 their  existence as a powerful people  
under the government of the judges2 and 
as a united nation during the hundred   
and twenty years comprised in  the      
successive reigns of ,saul1 ,david1 and 
,solomon4#iae      #iaa ,i ,sam4 xxv1   
#a2 ,isa4 xlviii1 #a2 ,rom ix1 #d2 xi1  
#a4      #iab ,gen4 xii1 #a-c2 xvii1    
#a-h2 xxvi1 #c-d4 xxviii1 #ac-ae4       
#iac ,exo4 i1 #a1 #g2 ix1 #f-g2 xii1 #c1
 etc4      #iad ,exo4 xii1 #ce1 #dj2    

xiii1 #ai2 xv1 #a2 xxxv1 #bj1 #cj2 ,lev4
 i1 #b2    ,numb1 xx1 #a1 #ai1 #bd1 etc4
      #iae ,see references in great     
number throughout the books of          
,judges1 ,i and ,,ii ,samuel1 and ,i and
 ,,ii ,kings4    #c4 ,at the death of   
,solomon1 probably about #ige ,b4 ,c41  
the kingdom  was divided2 the tribe of  
,judah and part of the tribe of         
,benjamin  accepted ,rehoboam1 the son  
and successor of ,solomon1 as their     
king2  while the rest of the people1    
usually spoken of as the ten tribes1    
revolted against ,rehoboam1 thus        
breaking their allegiance with the      
house of ,david2 they chose ,jeroboam as
 their king4 ,the ten tribes  under     
,jeroboam retained the title ,kingdom of
 ,israel1 though the  kingdom was       
likewise known by the name of           
,ephraim1#iaf from its most  prominent  
tribe2 while ,rehoboam and his subjects 
were known as the  ,kingdom of ,judah4  
,for about two hundred and fifty years  
the two  kingdoms maintained a separate 

existence2 after which 7#gba ,b4 ,c471  
the  independent status of the kingdom  
of ,israel was destroyed1 and the       
people were brought into captivity by   
the ,assyrians under ,shalmanezer4  ,the
 ,kingdom of ,judah was recognized for  
over a century longer1 after  which it  
was brought to an end by                
,nebuchadnezzar1 who inaugurated the    
,babylonian captivity4 ,for about       
seventy years the people remained in    
subjection1 which fact was in accordance
 with the prophecy of  ,jeremiah1#iag   
then the ,lord softened the hearts of   
the ruling kings1  and the work of      
emancipation was begun by ,cyrus the    
,persian4 ,the  ,hebrew people were     
permitted to return to ,judea1 and to   
rebuild the  temple at ,jerusalem4      
#iaf ,isa4 xi1 #ac2 xvii1 #c2 ,ezek4    
xxxvii1 #af-bb2 ,hos4 iv1 #ag4      #iag
 ,jer4 xxv1 #aa-ab2 xxix1 #aj4    #d4   
,the people1 then commonly known as     
,hebrews1 or ,jews1#iah  retained as the
 name of their nation the designation   

,israel1 though  they scarcely comprised
 two complete tribes out of the twelve4 
,the  name ,israel1 thus held with      
commendable pride by the remnant of a   
once  mighty people1 was used in a      
figurative manner to designate the      
chosen  and accepted ones who           
constituted the ,church of ,christ2#iai 
and in  that sense it is still employed4
 ,the people of ,israel1 as first we    
meet them in history1 were a united     
people4 ,that we may comprehend the     
true import of the gathering to which   
reference is made in the tenth  of the  
,articles of ,faith1 it is necessary    
that we first consider the  dispersions 
and scattering to which the people have 
been subjected4  ,the scriptures abound 
in predictions concerning such          
dispersions2 holy  scripture and history
 in general unite in testimony of the   
fulfillment  of these prophecies4       
#iah ,see ,notes #a and #b4      #iai   
,rom4 ix1 #f2 ,gal4 vi1 #af4    #e4 ,the
 ,dispersion of ,israel ,foretold4--,it 

has been said1 that if a  complete      
history of the house of ,israel were    
written1 it would be the  history of    
histories1 the key of the world's       
history for the past  twenty            
centuries4#ibj ,justification for this  
sweeping statement is  found in the fact
 that the ,israelites have been so      
completely  dispersed among the nations 
as to give to this scattered people a   
place of importance as a factor in the  
rise and development of almost  every   
large division of the human family4     
,this work of dispersion was  brought   
about by many stages1 and extended      
through millenniums4 ,it was  foreseen  
by the early prophets among the chosen  
people2 and the  spiritual leaders of   
every generation prior to and           
immediately  following the ,messianic   
era predicted the scattering of the     
people1 as  an ordained result of their 
increasing wickedness1 or referred to   
the  fulfillment of former prophecies   
regarding the dispersion1 then  already 

accomplished1 and foretold a further and
 more complete  disruption of the       
nation4      #ibj ,compendium1 p4 #he   
7#ahhd ed474    #f4 ,biblical           
,prophecies4--,in the course of         
,israel's troubled journey  from ,egypt1
 where they had dwelt as in a house of  
bondage1 to  ,canaan1 the land of their 
promised inheritance1 the ,lord gave    
them  many laws1 and established        
ordinances for their government in      
temporal  and spiritual affairs4 ,he    
arrayed for their contemplation         
blessings  beyond the power of the      
unaided mind of man to conceive1        
predicating  these upon their obedience 
to the laws of righteousness1 and their 
allegiance to ,himself as ,god and      
,king4 ,in contrast with this picture   
of blessed prosperity1 the ,lord        
described with terrible distinctness1   
and soul-harrowing detail1 a state of   
abject misfortune and blighting         
suffering1 into which they would surely 
fall if they departed from the  path of 

rectitude and adopted the sinful        
practices of the heathen  peoples with  
whom they would have dealings4 ,the     
darkest parts of this  dread picture    
were those that depicted the prospective
 breaking up of  the nation1 and the    
scattering of the people among those who
 knew not  ,god4 ,these extreme         
calamities1 however1 were to befall     
,israel only  after less severe         
chastisements had proved                
ineffective4#iba      #iba ,read the    
fateful predictions in ,leviticus xxvi1 
#ad-cc4    #g4 ,when the journey        
following the exodus was nearing its    
close1 as  the ,israelites were         
preparing to cross the ,jordan and to   
take  possession of the land of promise2
 when ,moses1 patriarch1 law-giver1  and
 prophet1 was about to ascend ,nebo1    
from which he was to look over  the     
goodly land and then die there2 he      
repeated the story of  contrasted       
blessings and cursings which formed the 
condition of ,god's  covenant with the  

people4 ,the ,lord shall cause thee to  
be smitten  before thine enemies#ibb was
 declared unto them2 and again3--,the   
,lord shall bring thee1 and thy king    
which thou shalt set over thee1  unto a 
nation which neither thou nor thy       
fathers have known2 and there  shalt    
thou serve other gods1 wood and stone4  
,and thou shalt become an  astonishment1
 a proverb1 and a by-word1 among all    
nations whither the  ,lord shall lead   
thee4#ibc ,and yet further3--,the ,lord 
shall bring a  nation against thee from 
far1 from the end of the earth1 as swift
 as  the eagle flieth2 a nation whose   
tongue thou shalt not understand2 a     
nation of fierce countenance1 which     
shall not regard the person of the  old1
 nor shew favor to the young3#ibd 444   
,and the ,lord shall scatter  thee among
 all people1 from the one end of the    
earth even unto the  other2 and there   
thou shalt serve other gods1 which      
neither thou nor  thy fathers have      
known1 even wood and stone4#ibe         

#ibb ,deut4 xxviii1 #be4      #ibc      
,verses #cf-cg4      #ibd ,verses #di1  
#ej4      #ibe ,verse #fd4    #h4 ,as   
the sacred record progresses1 the fact  
is made plain that  ,israel had chosen  
the evil alternative1 forfeiting the    
blessings and  reaping the curses4 ,when
 the son of sinful ,jeroboam lay sick   
almost  unto death1 the troubled king   
sent his wife in disguise to ,ahijah1   
the  blind prophet of ,israel1 to       
inquire concerning the fate of the      
child4  ,the prophet1 seeing beyond the 
physical blindness of his old age1      
predicted the child's death and the     
overthrow of the house of  ,jeroboam2   
and declared further3--,for the ,lord   
shall smite ,israel1 as  a reed is      
shaken in the water1 and he shall root  
up ,israel out of this  good land1 which
 he gave to their fathers1 and shall    
scatter them  beyond the river1 because 
they have made their groves1 provoking  
the  ,lord to anger4#ibf      #ibf ,i   
,kings xiv1 #ae4    #i4 ,through ,isaiah

 the ,lord justifies ,his judgment upon 
the people1  likening them to an        
unprofitable vineyard1#ibg which1 in    
spite of  protecting hedge and fullest  
care1 had yielded out wild grapes1 and  
which was fit only for spoliation2      
therefore1 ,he continues1 my  people    
have gone into captivity4#ibh ,and yet  
other tribulations were  to follow1     
against which the people were warned    
lest they alienate  themselves entirely 
from the ,god of their fathers3--,and   
what will ye  do in the day of          
visitation1 and in the desolation which 
shall come  from far8 to whom will ye   
flee for help8#ibi ,the prophet directs 
the  attention of his erring people to  
the fact that their tribulations are    
from the ,lord3--,who gave ,jacob for a 
spoil and ,israel to the robbers8  did  
not the ,lord1 he against whom we have  
sinned8 for they would not  walk in his 
ways1 neither were they obedient unto   
his law4 ,therefore  he has poured upon 
them the fury of his anger1 and the     

strength of  battle4#icj      #ibg ,isa4
 v1 #a-g4      #ibh ,verse #ac4         
#ibi ,isa4 x1 #h4      #icj ,isa4 xiii1 
#bd-be4    #aj4 ,after the captivity of 
,ephraim1 or the kingdom of ,israel1    
specifically so called1 the people of   
,judah needed yet other  admonishings   
and threatenings4 ,through ,jeremiah the
 fate of their  brethren was brought to 
their remembrance2#ica then1 as a result
 of  their continued and increasing     
wickedness1 the ,lord said3--,and ,i    
will  cast you out of my sight1 as ,i   
have cast out all your brethren1 even   
the whole seed of ,ephraim4#icb ,their  
land was to be despoiled2 all  the      
cities of ,judah were to be consigned to
 desolation1#icc and the  people were to
 be scattered among the kingdoms of the 
earth4#icd  ,other prophets#ice revealed
 the ,lord's words of anger and dire    
warning2 and the ,divine decree is      
recorded3--,i will sift the house of    
,israel among all nations1 like as corn 
is sifted in a sieve2#icf and  again3 ,i

 will sow them among the people1 and    
they shall remember me  in far          
countries4#icg      #ica ,jer4 vii1 #ab4
      #icb ,verse #ae4      #icc ,jer4  
ix1 #aa2 x1 #bb4      #icd ,jer4 xxxiv1 
#ag4      #ice ,ezek4 xx1 #bc2 xxii1    
#ae2 xxxiv1 #f2 xxxvi1 #ai2 ,amos vii1  
#ag2    ix1 #i2 ,micah iii1 #ab4        
#icf ,amos ix1 #i4      #icg ,zech4 x1  
#i4    #aa4 ,book of ,mormon            
,predictions4--,the record made by that 
division of  the house of ,israel which 
took its departure from ,jerusalem and  
made  its way to the western hemisphere 
about #fjj ,b4 ,c41 contains many       
references to the dispersions that had  
already taken place1 and to the         
continuation of the scattering which was
 to the writers of the ,book of  ,mormon
 yet future4 ,in the course of the      
journey to the coast1 the  prophet      
,lehi1 while encamped with his family   
and other followers in  the valley of   
,lemuel on the borders of the ,red ,sea1
 declared what he  had learned by       

revelation of the future dwindling of   
the ,jews in  unbelief1 of their        
crucifying the ,messiah1 and of their   
scattering  upon all the face of the    
earth4#ich ,he compared ,israel to an   
olive  tree1#ici the branches of which  
were to be broken off and  distributed2 
and he recognized the exodus of his     
colony1 and their  journeying afar as an
 incident in the general plan of        
dispersion4#idj  ,nephi1 the son of     
,lehi1 also beheld in vision the        
scattering of the  covenant people of   
,god1 and on this point added his       
testimony to that  of his               
prophet-father4#ida ,he saw also that   
the seed of his brethren1  subsequently 
known as the ,lamanites1 were to be     
chastened for their  unbelief1 and that 
they were destined to become subject to 
the  ,gentiles1 and to be scattered     
before them4#idb ,down the prophetic    
vista of years1 he saw also the bringing
 forth of sacred records1  other than   
those then known1 unto the convincing of

 the ,gentiles1 and  the remnant of the 
seed of my brethren1#idc and also the   
,jews who  were scattered upon all the  
face of the earth4#idd      #ich ,i     
,nephi x1 #aa-ab4      #ici ,verse #ab2 
xv1 #ab1 #ac2 see also ,jacob v and vi4 
#idj ,i ,nephi x1 #ac4      #ida ,i     
,nephi xiv1 #ad4      #idb ,i ,nephi    
xiii1 #aa-ad4      #idc ,the division of
 ,lehi's posterity1 known at a later    
date as    ,lamanites4      #idd ,i     
,nephi xiii1 #ci4    #ab4 ,after their  
arrival on the promised land1 the colony
 led by ,lehi  received further         
information regarding the dispersion of 
,israel4 ,the  prophet ,zenos1#ide      
quoted by ,nephi1 had predicted the     
unbelief of the  house of ,israel1 in   
consequence of which these covenant ones
 of ,god  were to wander in the flesh1  
and perish1 and become a hiss and a     
by-word1 and be hated among all         
nations4#idf ,the brothers of ,nephi1   
skeptical in regard to these teachings1 
asked whether the things of  which he   

spake were to come to pass in a         
spiritual sense1 or more  literally2 and
 were informed that the house of        
,israel1 sooner or  later1 will be      
scattered upon all the face of the      
earth1 and also  among all nations2 and 
further1 in reference to dispersions    
then  already accomplished1 that the    
more part of all the tribes have been   
led away2 and they are scattered to and 
fro upon the isles of the  sea2#idg and 
then1 by way of prediction concerning   
further division  and separation1 ,nephi
 adds that the ,gentiles shall be given 
power over  the people of ,israel1 and  
by them shall our seed be scattered4#idh
  ,though an ocean lay between the      
country of their nativity and the land  
to which they had been miraculously led1
 the children of ,lehi learned  through 
revelation by the mouth of ,jacob1      
,nephi's brother1 of the  captivity of  
the ,jews whom they had left at         
,jerusalem4#idi ,by ,nephi  they were   
further told of troubles then impending 

over the city of  their birth1#iej and  
of a further dispersion of their        
kindred1 the  ,jews4#iea      #ide ,see 
,note #c4      #idf ,i ,nephi xix1      
#ab-ad4      #idg ,i ,nephi xxii1 #a-d4 
#idh ,i ,nephi xxii1 #g4      #idi ,,ii 
,nephi vi1 #h4      #iej ,,ii ,nephi    
xxv1 #ad-ae4      #iea ,verse #ae4      
#ac4 ,the ,lamanites1 a division of     
,lehi's colony1 were also to be         
disrupted and scattered1 as witness the 
words of ,samuel1 a prophet of  that    
benighted people4#ieb ,nephi1 the third 
prophet of that name1  grandson of      
,helaman1 emphasizes the dispersion of  
his people by  declaring that their     
dwellings shall become desolate4#iec    
,jesus  ,himself1 after ,his            
resurrection1 while ministering to the  
division of  ,his flock on the western  
hemisphere1 refers solemnly to the      
remnant of  the chosen seed who are to  
be scattered forth upon the face of the 
earth because of their unbelief4#ied    
#ieb ,helaman xv1 #ab4      #iec ,,iii  

,nephi x1 #g4      #ied ,,iii ,nephi    
xvi1 #d4    #ad4 ,from these references 
it is plain that the followers of ,lehi1
  including his own family1 and         
,zoram1#iee together with ,ishmael and  
his family1#ief from whom sprang the    
mighty peoples the ,nephites1 who       
suffered extermination because of their 
unfaithfulness1 and the  ,lamanites1    
who1 now known as the ,american         
,indians1 have continued in  troubled   
existence until the present day1 were   
informed by revelation  of the          
dispersion of their former compatriots  
in the land of  ,palestine1 and of their
 own certain doom as a result of their  
disobedience to the laws of ,god4 ,we   
have said that the transfer of  ,lehi   
and his followers from the eastern to   
the western hemisphere was  itself a    
part of the general dispersion4 ,it     
should be remembered that  another      
colony of ,jews came to the western     
hemisphere1 the start  dating about     
eleven years after the time of ,lehi's  

departure4 ,this  second company was led
 by ,mulek1 a son of ,zedekiah the last 
king of  ,judah2 they left ,jerusalem   
immediately after the capture of the    
city  by ,nebuchadnezzar1 about #ehh ,b4
 ,c4#ieg      #iee ,i ,nephi iv1 #bj-bf1
 #cj-cg4      #ief ,i ,nephi vii1 #b-f1 
#ai1 #bb2 xvi1 #g4      #ieg ,omni i1   
#ad-ai2 ,mos4 xxv1 #b-d2 ,alma xxii1    
#cj-cb2 ,hel4 vi1 #aj2    viii1 #ba2 p4 
#bfh4    #ae4 ,the ,fulfillment of these
 ,prophecies4--,the sacred scriptures1  
as  well as other writings for which the
 claim of direct inspiration is  not    
asserted1 record the literal fulfillment
 of prophecy in the  desolation of the  
house of ,israel4 ,the dividing of the  
nation into the  separate kingdoms of   
,judah and ,israel led to the downfall  
of both4 ,as  the people grew in their  
disregard for the laws of their fathers1
  their enemies were permitted to       
triumph over them4 ,after many minor    
losses in war1 the kingdom of ,israel   
met an overwhelming defeat at the  hands

 of the ,assyrians1 in or about the year
 #gba ,b4 ,c4 ,we read that             
,shalmanezer ,,iv1 king of ,assyria1    
besieged ,samaria1 the third and last   
capital of the kingdom1#ieh and that    
after three years the city was  taken by
 ,sargon1 ,shalmanezer's successor4 ,the
 people of ,israel were  carried captive
 into ,assyria1 and distributed among   
the cities of the  ,medes4#iei ,thus was
 the dread prediction of ,ahijah to the 
wife of  ,jeroboam fulfilled4 ,israel   
was scattered beyond the river1#ifj     
probably the ,euphrates1 and from the   
time of this event the ten tribes  are  
entirely lost to history4      #ieh     
,shechem was the first capital of the   
kingdom of ,israel 7,i    ,kings xii1   
#be72 later1 ,tirzah became the capital3
 it was famous    for its beauty 7,i    
,kings xiv1 #ag2 xv1 #cc2 xvi1 #h1ag1   
#bc2 ,song of    ,sol4 vi1 #d72 and     
lastly ,samaria 7#a ,kings xvi1 #bd74   
#iei ,,ii ,kings xvii1 #e-f2 xviii1     
#i-aa4      #ifj ,i ,kings xiv1 #ae4    

#af4 ,the sad fate of the kingdom of    
,israel had some effect in  partially   
awakening among the people of ,judah a  
sense of their own  impending doom4     
,hezekiah reigned as king for nine and  
twenty years1  and proved himself a     
bright exception to a line of wicked    
rulers who  had preceded him4 ,of him we
 are told that he did that which was    
right in the sight of the ,lord4#ifa    
,during his reign1 the ,assyrians  under
 ,sennacherib invaded the land2 but the 
,lord's favor was in part  restored to  
the people1 and ,hezekiah roused them to
 a reliance upon  their ,god1 bidding   
them take courage and fear not the      
,assyrian king  nor his hosts1 for said 
this righteous prince1 there be more    
with  us than with him2 ,with him is an 
arm of flesh1 but with us is the ,lord  
our ,god1 to help us and to fight our   
battles4#ifb ,the ,assyrian army  was   
miraculously destroyed4#ifc ,but        
,hezekiah died1 and ,manasseh ruled  in 
his stead2 this king did evil in the    

sight of the ,lord1#ifd and  the        
wickedness of the people continued for  
half a century or more1  broken only by 
the good works of one righteous king1   
,josiah4#ife      #ifa ,,ii ,kings      
xviii1 #a-c2 ,,ii ,chron4 xxix1 #a-aa4  
#ifb ,,ii ,chron4 xxxii1 #g-h4      #ifc
 ,,ii ,chron4 xxxii1 #ba-bb4      #ifd  
,,ii ,chron4 xxxiii1 #a-aj2 ,,ii ,kings 
xxi1 #a-i4      #ife ,,ii ,kings xxii1  
#a2 ,,ii ,chron4 xxxiv1 #a4    #ag4     
,while ,zedekiah occupied the throne1   
,nebuchadnezzar1 king of  ,babylon1 laid
 siege to ,jerusalem1#iff took the city 
about #ehh ,b4 ,c41  and soon thereafter
 led the people captive into ,babylon1  
thus  virtually putting an end to the   
kingdom of ,judah4 ,the people were     
scattered among the cities of ,asia2 and
 groaned under the vicissitudes  of the 
,babylonian captivity for nearly seventy
 years1#ifg after which  they were given
 permission by ,cyrus the ,persian1 who 
had subdued the  ,babylonians1 to return
 to ,jerusalem4 ,multitudes of the      

exiled ,hebrews  availed themselves of  
this opportunity1 though many remained  
in the  land of their captivity2 and    
while those who did return earnestly    
sought to re-establish themselves on a  
scale of their former power1  they were 
never again truly an independent people4
 ,they were assailed  by ,syria and     
,egypt1 and later became tributary to   
,rome1 in which  condition they were    
during the personal ministry of ,christ 
among them4      #iff ,,ii ,kings xxv1  
#a-c2 ,,ii ,chron4 xxxvi1 #ag4      #ifg
 ,see pp4 #cbg-cbh4    #ah4 ,jeremiah's 
prophecy still lacked a complete        
fulfillment1 but  time proved that not a
 word was to fail4 ,judah shall be      
carried away  captive1 all of it2 it    
shall be wholly carried away            
captive2#ifh  this was the prediction4  
,a rebellious disturbance among the     
,jews gave  a semblance of excuse for a 
terrible chastisement to be visited upon
  them by their ,roman masters1 which   
culminated in the destruction of        

,jerusalem1 ,a4 ,d4 #ga4 ,the city fell 
after a six months' siege before  the   
,roman arms led by ,titus1 son of the   
,emperor ,vespasian4 ,josephus1  the    
famous historian1 to whom we owe most of
 our knowledge as to the  details of the
 struggle1 was himself a resident in    
,galilee and was  carried to ,rome among
 the captives4 ,from his record we learn
 that more  than a million ,jews lost   
their lives through the famine incident 
to  the siege2 many more were sold into 
slavery1 and uncounted numbers  were    
forced into exile4 ,the city was utterly
 destroyed1 and the site  upon which the
 temple had stood was plowed up by the  
,romans in their  search for treasure4  
,thus literally were the words of       
,christ  fulfilled1 ,there shall not be 
left here one stone upon another that   
shall not be thrown down4#ifi      #ifh 
,jer4 xiii1 #ai4      #ifi ,matt4 xxiv1 
#a-b2 see also ,luke xix1 #dd4 ,see     
,jesus the    ,christ1 pp4 #efc1 #efg1  
#ehf4    #ai4 ,since the destruction of 

,jerusalem and the final disruption of  
the organized people1 the ,jews have    
been wanderers upon the face of  the    
earth1 outcasts among the nations1 a    
people without a country1 a  nation     
without a home4 ,the prophecy uttered by
 ,amos of old has had its  literal      
fulfillment3 truly have ,israel been    
sifted among all nations  like as corn  
is sifted in a sieve2#igj let it be     
remembered1  however that coupled with  
this dread prediction was the promise1  
,yet  shall not the least grain fall    
upon the earth4      #igj ,amos ix1 #i4 
#bj4 ,the ,lost ,tribes4--,as already   
stated1 in the division of the          
,israelites after the death of ,solomon1
 ten tribes established  themselves as  
an independent kingdom4 ,this1 the      
kingdom of ,israel1 was  terminated1 as 
far as history is concerned1 by the     
,assyrian captivity1  #gba ,b4 ,c4 ,the 
people were led into ,assyria2 and later
 disappeared so  completely that they   
have been called the ,lost ,tribes4     

,they seem to  have departed from       
,assyria1 and while we lack definite    
information as  to their final          
destination and present location1 there 
is abundant  evidence that their journey
 was toward the north4#iga ,the ,lord's 
,word  through ,jeremiah promises that  
the people shall be brought back from   
the land of the north1#igb and a similar
 declaration has been made  through     
,divine revelation during the present   
dispensation4#igc      #iga ,jer4 iii1  
#ab4      #igb ,jer4 xvi1 #ae2 xxiii1   
#h2 xxxi1 #h4      #igc ,doc4 and ,cov4 
cxxxiii1 #bf-bg4    #ba4 ,in the        
writings of ,esdras or ,ezra1 which1    
however1 are not  included among the    
canonical books of the ,bible1 but are  
known as  apocryphal1 we find references
 to the north-bound migration of the ten
  tribes1 which they undertook in       
accordance with a plan to escape the    
heathen by going to a further country   
where never man dwelt1 that  they might 
there keep their statutes which they    

never kept in their  own land4#igd ,the 
same writer informs us further that they
 journeyed  a year and a half into the  
north country2 but he gives us evidence 
that many remained in the land of their 
captivity4      #igd ,,ii ,esdras xiii4 
,see ,note #d4    #bb4 ,the resurrected 
,christ1 while ministering among the    
,nephites on  this hemisphere1          
specifically mentioned the other tribes 
of the house  of ,israel1 whom the      
,father hath led away out of the        
land2#ige and  again ,he referred to    
them as other sheep which are not of    
this land1  neither of the land of      
,jerusalem2 neither in any parts of that
 land  around about1 whither ,i have    
been to minister4#igf ,christ announced 
a commandment of the ,father that ,he   
should reveal ,himself to them4 ,the    
present location of the ,lost ,tribes   
has not been accurately revealed4       
#ige ,,iii ,nephi xv1 #ae4      #igf    
,,iii ,nephi xvi1 #a4      ,,notes4     
#a4 ,hebrews4--,shem is called the      

father of all the children of           
,eber1 as ,ham is called father of      
,canaan4 ,the ,hebrews and              
,canaanites were often brought into     
contact1 and exhibited the              
respective characteristics of the       
,shemites and the ,hamites4 ,the        
term ,hebrews thus is derived from ,eber
 7,gen4 x1 #ba2 comp4       ,numb1 xxiv1
 #bd74--;,bible ,cyclopedia1 by         
,fausset4         ,the writer of the    
article ,hebrew in ,cassell's ,bible    
,dictionary       questions the evidence
 on which the derivation of ,hebrew from
       ,eber or ,heber is asserted1 and 
says3 ,all that can be       confidently
 affirmed is that the term is employed  
of ,abraham1 and       of the           
descendants of ,jacob in general4 ,the  
interest attaching to       the word1   
coupled with its obscure origin1        
suffices to account       for the many  
speculations in regard to it4 ,it may be
 added that       some scholars have    
found the name ',hebrews1' a little     

changed1 on       the monuments of      
,egypt4 ,if this interpretation is      
verified1 it       will be of value1 as 
showing that when the ,egyptians called 
,joseph a ,hebrew1 they employed the    
designation which was accepted          
among them4         #b4 ,jews4--,the    
term properly signifies a man of ,judah1
 or a       descendant of ,judah1 but   
the word came to be applied to all those
       who were otherwise designated    
',hebrews4' ,it does not appear to      
have come into use until long after the 
revolt of ,jeroboam and       the ten   
tribes1 and so long as the kingdom      
stood1 it was       naturally employed  
of the citizens of the kingdom of ,judah
 7,,ii       ,kings xvi1 #f2 xxv1 #be72 
but it rarely occurs in this sense4     
,after       the exile it took the      
extension of meaning which it has to the
       present day4 ,it was adopted by  
the remnants of all the tribes1         
and was the one name by which the       
descendants of ,jacob were known        

throughout the ancient world2 certainly 
it was far more common       than       
',hebrew4' ,it occurs in the books of   
,ezra1 ,nehemiah1 ,esther1              
,daniel1 etc41 is found in the          
,apocrypha2 and is common in            
,josephus1 and in the ,new              
,testament4--,cassell's ,bible          
,dictionary4         ,under the         
theocracy they were known as ,hebrews1  
under the       monarchy as ,israelites1
 and during foreign domination as ,jews4
       ,the modern representatives of   
this stock call themselves ,hebrews     
in race and language1 and ,israelites in
 religion1 but ,jews in       both      
senses4--,standard ,dictionary4         
#c4 ,zenos4--,a ,hebrew prophet1 often  
quoted by the ,nephite       servants of
 ,god4 ,all we are told of his personal 
history is that       he was slain      
because he testified boldly of what ,god
 revealed to       him4 ,that he was a  
man greatly blessed of the ,lord with   
the       spirit of prophecy is shown by

 that wonderful and almost              
incomparable parable of the ,vineyard1  
given at length by ,jacob       7,jacob1
 chap4 v74 ,his prophecies are also     
quoted by ,nephi 7,i       ,nephi xix1  
#aj1 #ab1 #af71 ,alma 7,alma xxxiii1 #c1
 #ac1 #ae71 ,amulek1       ,alma 7xxxiv1
 #g71 ,samuel the ,lamanite 7,helaman   
xv1 #aa71 and ,mormon       7,,iii      
,nephi x1 #af74--;,dictionary of the    
,book of ,mormon1 by ,elder             
,george ,reynolds4         #d4 ,the     
,journeyings of the ,lost               
,tribes4--,esdras1 whose books1 as      
stated in the text1 are classed among   
the apocrypha1 describes a       vision1
 in the course of which the ,ten ,tribes
 are noticed in this       way3--,those 
are the tribes which were carried away  
captives out       of their own land in 
the time of ,oseas ,hosea the king1 whom
       ,shalmanezer1 the king of the    
,assyrians1 took captive1 and crossed   
them beyond the river2 so were they     
brought into another land4       ,but   

they took counsel to themselves1 that   
they would leave the       multitude of 
the heathen1 and go forth unto a further
 country       where never man dwelt1   
that they there might keep their        
statutes1       which they never kept in
 their own land4 ,and they entered in at
       the narrow passage of the river  
,euphrates4 ,for the ,most ,high then   
showed them signs1 and stayed the       
springs of the flood till they          
were passed over4 ,for through the      
country there was a great       journey1
 even of a year and a half1 and the same
 region is called       ,arsareth 7or   
,ararah74 ,then dwelt they there until  
the latter       time1 and when they    
come forth again1 the ,most ,high shall 
hold       still the springs of the     
river again1 that they may go           
through4--,,ii ,esdras xiii4            
,concerning the journeyings of the ,ten 
,tribes toward the north1       ,elder  
,george ,reynolds1 in his little work   
,are ,we of ,israel8       says3--,they 

determined to go to a country 'where    
never man       dwelt1' that they might 
be free from all contaminating          
influences4 ,that country could only be 
found in the north4       ,southern     
,asia was already the seat of a         
comparatively ancient                   
civilization2 ,egypt flourished in      
northern ,africa2 and southern          
,europe was rapidly filling with the    
future rulers of the world4       ,they 
had therefore no choice but to turn     
their faces northward4       ,the first 
portion of their journey was not however
 north2       according to the account  
of ,esdras1 they appear to have at first
       moved in the direction of their  
old home2 and it is possible that       
they originally started with the        
intention of returning thereto2       or
 probably1 in order to deceive the      
,assyrians1 they started as       if to 
return to ,canaan1 and when they crossed
 the ,euphrates and       were out of   
danger from the hosts of ,medes and     

,persians1 then       they turned their 
journeying feet toward the polar star4  
,esdras       states that they entered  
in at the narrow passage of the river   
,euphrates1 the ,lord staying the       
springs of the flood until they         
were passed over4 ,the point on the     
river ,euphrates at which they          
crossed would necessarily be in its     
upper portion1 as lower down       would
 be too far south for their purpose4    
,the upper course of the                
,euphrates lies among lofty mountains2  
near the village of ,pastash       it   
plunges through a gorge formed by       
precipices more than a       thousand   
feet in height1 and so narrow that it is
 bridged at the       top2 it shortly   
afterward enters the plain of           
,mesopotamia4 ,how       accurately this
 portion of the river answers to the    
description       of ,esdras of the     
',narrows' where the ,israelites        
crossed6         ,the tribes shall come2
 they are not lost unto the ,lord2 they 

shall be brought forth as hath been     
predicted2 and ,i say unto you          
there are those now living--aye1 some   
here present--who shall       live to   
read the records of the ,lost ,tribes of
 ,israel1 which       shall be made one 
with the record of the ,jews1 or the    
,holy ,bible1       and the record of   
the ,nephites1 or the ,book of ,mormon1 
even as       the ,lord hath predicted2 
and those records1 which the tribes lost
       to man but yet to be found again 
shall bring1 shall tell of the          
visit of the resurrected ,christ to     
them1 after ,he had manifested          
,himself to the ,nephites upon this     
continent4 ,from address by the         
author ,october #h1 #aiaf1 see          
,proceedings of #hgth ,semi-annual      
,conference of the ,church4             
,,lecture ,,xviii4    ,,the ,,gathering 
,,of ,,israel4         ,article         
#aj4--,we believe in the literal        
gathering of ,israel1 and       in the  
restoration of the ,ten ,tribes1 etc4   

#a4 ,the ,gathering                     
,predicted4--,terrible as was the       
chastisement  decreed on ,israel for    
their waywardness and sin1 amounting1 as
 it did1  to their dissolution as a     
nation1 and to a virtual expulsion from 
the  sight of the ,lord's favor2 fearful
 as has been their denunciation by  ,him
 who delighted to call them ,his people2
 through all their  sufferings and      
deprivations1 while wandering as        
outcasts among alien  nations who have  
never ceased to treat them with         
contumely and insult1  when their very  
name has been made a hiss and a byword  
in the  earth2--they have ever been     
sustained by the sure word of ,divine   
promise1 that a day of glorious         
deliverance and blessed restoration     
awaits them4 ,associated with the curses
 under which they writhed and  groaned1 
were assurances of blessings4 ,from the 
heart of the people1  as from the soul  
of their mighty king in the day of his  
deserved  affliction1 has poured forth a

 song of tearful rejoicing3--,thou wilt 
not leave my soul in hell4#igg ,the     
sufferings of ,israel have been  but    
necessary chastening by a grieved yet   
loving ,father1 who planned  by these   
effective means to purify ,his          
sin-stained children4 ,to them  ,he has 
freely told ,his purpose in thus        
afflicting them1 and in ,his            
punishments they have seen ,his love1   
,for whom the ,lord loveth he           
chasteneth1#igh and ,blessed is the man 
whom thou chasteneth1 ,o  ,lord4#igi    
#igg ,psa4 xvi1 #aj2 ,acts ii1 #bg4     
#igh ,heb4 xii1 #f4      #igi ,psa4     
xciv1 #ab2 see also ,prov4 iii1 #ab2    
,james i1 #ab2 ,rev4    iii1 #ai4    #b4
 ,though smitten of men1 a large part of
 them gone from a knowledge  of the     
world1 ,israel are not lost unto their  
,father2 ,he knows whither  they have   
been led or driven2 toward them ,his    
heart still yearns with  paternal love2 
and surely will ,he bring them forth1 in
 due time and by  appointed means1 into 

a condition of favor and power1         
befitting ,his  chosen and covenant     
people4 ,in spite of their sin1 and the 
tribulations which they would assuredly 
bring upon themselves1 the  ,lord       
said3--,and yet for all that1 when they 
be in the land of their  enemies1 ,i    
will not cast them away1 neither will ,i
 abhor them1 to  destroy them utterly1  
and to break my covenant with them3 for 
,i am the  ,lord their ,god4#ihj ,as    
complete as was the scattering1 so will 
be  the gathering of ,israel4      #ihj 
,levit4 xxvi1 #dd2 see also ,deut4 iv1  
#bg-ca4    #c4 ,bible ,prophecies       
concerning the ,gathering4--,we have    
examined a  few of the biblical         
predictions concerning the dispersion of
 ,israel2  in all cases the blessing of 
eventual restoration was associated with
  the curse4 ,among the early           
prophecies1 we hear the ,lord declaring 
that  it shall come to pass that when   
thou1 ,israel1 shalt return unto the    
,lord thy ,god1 and shalt obey his voice

 according to all that ,i command  thee 
this day1 thou and thy children1 with   
all thine heart1 and with  all thy soul2
 that then the ,lord thy ,god will turn 
thy captivity1 and  have compassion upon
 thee1 and will return and gather thee  
from all  the nations1 whither the ,lord
 thy ,god hath scattered thee4 ,if any  
of  thine be driven out unto the utmost 
parts of heaven1 from thence will  the  
,lord thy ,god gather thee1 and from    
thence will he fetch thee3 and  the     
,lord thy ,god will bring thee into the 
land which thy fathers  possessed1 and  
thou shalt possess it2 and he will do   
thee good1 and  multiply thee above thy 
fathers4#iha      #iha ,deut4 xxx1 #b-e4
    #d4 ,nehemiah pleads in fasting and 
prayer that the ,lord would  remember   
,his promise of restoration if the      
people would turn unto                  
righteousness4#ihb ,isaiah speaks with  
no uncertain words of the  assured      
return and re-union of scattered        
,israel1 saying3--,and it  shall come to

 pass in that day1 that the ,lord shall 
set his hand again  the second time to  
recover the remnant of his people1 which
 shall be  left4444 ,and he shall set up
 an ensign for the nations1 and shall   
assemble the outcasts of ,israel1 and   
gather together the dispersed of  ,judah
 from the four corners of the earth4#ihc
      #ihb ,neh4 i1 #i4      #ihc       
,isaiah xi1 #aa-ab4    #e4 ,the         
restoration is to be complete2 there    
shall be a united  people1 no longer two
 kingdoms1 each at enmity with the      
other2 for1  ,the envy also of ,ephraim 
shall depart1 and the adversaries of    
,judah  shall be cut off3 ,ephraim shall
 not envy ,judah1 and ,judah shall not  
vex ,ephraim4#ihd ,with the words of a  
fond ,father1 the ,lord thus  speaks of 
,his treatment of ,israel and brightens 
their desolation with  promises3--,for a
 small moment have ,i forsaken thee2 but
 with great  mercies will ,i gather     
thee4 ,in a little wrath ,i hid my face 
from thee  for a moment2 but with       

everlasting kindness will ,i have mercy 
on thee1  saith the ,lord thy           
,redeemer4#ihe      #ihd ,verse #ac2 see
 also ,ezek4 xxxvii1 #ba4      #ihe     
,isa4 liv1 #g-h4    #f4 ,after giving a 
terrible recital of the people's sins   
and the  penalties to follow1 ,jeremiah 
thus voices the will and purpose of     
,god1  concerning the subsequent        
deliverance3--,therefore1 behold1 the   
days  come1 saith the ,lord1 that it    
shall no more be said1 ,the ,lord       
liveth1  that brought up the children of
 ,israel out of the land of ,egypt2 but1
  ,the ,lord liveth1 that brought up the
 children of ,israel from the land  of  
the north1 and from all the lands       
whither he had driven them3 and  ,i will
 bring them again into their land that  
,i gave unto their  fathers4 ,behold1 ,i
 will send for many fishers1 saith the  
,lord1 and  they shall fish them2 and   
after will ,i send for many hunters1 and
 they  shall hunt them from every       
mountain1 and from every hill1 and out  

of  the holes of the rocks4#ihf ,and    
again3--,behold1 ,i will bring them     
from the north country1 and gather them 
from the coasts of the  earth4444 ,hear 
the word of the ,lord1 ,o ye nations1   
and declare it in  the isles afar off1  
and say1 ,he that scattered ,israel will
 gather him1  and keep him1 as a        
shepherd doth his flock4 ,for the ,lord 
hath redeemed  ,jacob1 and ransomed him 
from the hand of him that was stronger  
than  he4 ,therefore they shall come and
 sing in the height of ,zion1 and  shall
 flow together to the goodness of the   
,lord4#ihg      #ihf ,jer4 xvi1 #ab-af4 
#ihg ,jer4 xxxi1 #g-h1 #aj-ab4    #g4   
,backsliding ,israel1 treacherous       
,judah1 are the terms of  reproof with  
which the ,lord addressed ,his recreant 
children2 then ,he  commanded the       
prophet1 saying3 ,go and proclaim these 
words toward the  north1 and say1       
,return1 thou backsliding ,israel1 saith
 the ,lord2 and ,i  will not cause mine 
anger to fall upon you3 for ,i am       

merciful1 saith  the ,lord1 and ,i will 
not keep anger for ever4 ,only          
acknowledge thine  iniquity1 that thou  
hast transgressed against the ,lord thy 
,god1 and  hast scattered thy ways to   
the strangers under every green tree1   
and  ye have not obeyed my voice1 saith 
the ,lord4 ,turn1 ,o backsliding        
children1 saith the ,lord2 for ,i am    
married unto you3 and ,i will take  you 
one of a city1 and two of a family1 and 
,i will bring you to ,zion3  ,and ,i    
will give you pastors according to mine 
heart1 which shall feed  you with       
knowledge and understanding4 ,and it    
shall come to pass1 when  ye be         
multiplied and increased in the land1 in
 those days1 saith the  ,lord1 they     
shall say no more1 ,the ark of the      
covenant of the ,lord3  neither shall it
 come to mind2 neither shall they       
remember it2 neither  shall they visit  
it2 neither shall that be done any more4
 ,at that time  they shall call         
,jerusalem the throne of the ,lord2 and 

all the nations  shall be gathered unto 
it1 to the name of the ,lord1 to        
,jerusalem2  neither shall they walk any
 more after the imagination of their    
evil  heart4 ,in those days the house of
 ,judah shall walk with the house of    
,israel1 and they shall come together   
out of the land of the north to  the    
land that ,i have given for an          
inheritance unto your fathers4#ihh      
#ihh ,jer4 iii1 #ab-ah2 see also xxiii1 
#h2 xxv1 #cd2 xxx1 #c2 xxxii1    #cg4   
#h4 ,to ,ezekiel the ,lord also declared
 the plan of ,israel's                  
restoration3--,thus saith the ,lord     
,god2 behold1 ,i will take the  children
 of ,israel from among the heathen1     
whither they be gone1 and  will gather  
them on every side1 and bring them into 
their own land3  ,and ,i will make them 
one nation in the land upon the         
mountains of  ,israel3 and one king     
shall be king to them all3 and they     
shall be no  more two nations1 neither  
shall they be divided into two kingdoms 

any  more at all4#ihi      #ihi ,ezek4  
xxxvii1 #ba-bb2 see also xi1 #ag2 xx1   
#cd-db2 xxviii1 #be2    xxxiv1 #aa1 #ca4
    #i4 ,that the re-establishment is to
 be a permanent one is evident  from the
 revelation given through ,amos1 wherein
 we read that the ,lord  said3--,and ,i 
will bring again the captivity of my    
people of ,israel1  and they shall build
 the waste cities1 and inhabit them2 and
 they  shall plant vineyards1 and drink 
the wine thereof2 they shall also  make 
gardens1 and eat the fruit of them4 ,and
 ,i will plant them upon  their land1   
and they shall no more be pulled up out 
of their land  which ,i have given them1
 saith the ,lord thy ,god4#iij      #iij
 ,amos ix1 #ad-ae4    #aj4 ,as a fitting
 close to our selection of biblical     
prophecies1 let  the words of ,jesus of 
,nazareth be read1 spoken while ,he     
lived among  men3 ,and he shall send his
 angels with a great sound of a trumpet1
  and they shall gather together his    
elect from the four winds1 from one  end

 of heaven to the other4#iia      #iia  
,matt4 xxiv1 #ca4    #aa4 ,book of      
,mormon ,prophecies4--,the gathering of 
,israel claimed the  attention of many  
prophets whose teachings are recorded in
 the ,book of  ,mormon1 and not a little
 direct revelation concerning the       
subject is  preserved within the pages  
of that volume4 ,we have noted ,lehi's  
discourse in the valley of ,lemuel1 in  
which that patriarch-prophet  compared  
the house of ,israel to an olive tree1  
the branches of which  were to be broken
 off and scattered2 now may we add his  
prediction  regarding the subsequent    
grafting-in of the branches4 ,he taught 
that1  after the house of ,israel shall 
be scattered1 they should be gathered   
together again2 or1 in fine1 after the  
,gentiles had received the  fulness of  
the ,gospel1 the natural branches of the
 olive tree1 or the  remnants of the    
house of ,israel1 should be grafted in1 
or come to a  knowledge of the true     
,messiah1 their ,lord and their         

,redeemer4#iib      #iib ,i ,nephi x1   
#ad2 see also ,jacob v4    #ab4 ,nephi1 
quoting the words of the prophet        
,zenos1#iic emphasizes  the declaration 
that1 when purified by suffering1       
,israel shall come  again into the favor
 of the ,lord1 and then shall they be   
gathered from  the four quarters of the 
earth1 and the isles of the sea shall be
  remembered4#iid ,jacob1 the brother of
 ,nephi1 testified to the truth  of the 
prophecies of ,zenos1 and indicated the 
time of the gathering as  a             
characteristic sign of the last days4   
,consider his words3--,and in  the day  
that he shall set his hand again the    
second time1 to recover  his people1 is 
the day1 yea1 even the last time that   
the servants of  the ,lord shall go     
forth in his power1 to nourish and prune
 his  vineyard2 and after that the end  
soon cometh4#iie      #iic ,see ,note   
#c1 p4 #cdj4      #iid ,i ,nephi xix1   
#af2 see also ,i ,nephi xxii1 #aa1 #ab1 
#be2 ,,ii ,nephi    vi1 #h-aa4      #iie

 ,jacob vi1 #b4    #ac4 ,among the most 
comprehensive predictions regarding the 
restoration of the ,jews is the         
following utterance of                  
,nephi3--,wherefore1  the ,jews shall be
 scattered among all nations2 yea1 and  
also ,babylon  shall be destroyed2      
wherefore1 the ,jews shall be scattered 
by other  nations2 and after they have  
been scattered1 and the ,lord ,god hath 
scourged them by other nations1 for the 
space of many generations1  yea1 even   
down from generation to generation1     
until they shall be  persuaded to       
believe in ,christ1 the ,son of ,god1   
and the atonement1  which is infinite   
for all mankind2 and when that day shall
 come1 that  they shall believe in      
,christ1 and worship the ,father in his 
name1 with  pure hearts and clean hands1
 and look not forward any more for      
another  ,messiah1 then1 at that time1  
the day will come that it must needs to 
be expedient that they should believe   
these things1 and the ,lord will  set   

his hand again the second time to       
restore his people from their  lost and 
fallen state4 ,wherefore1 he will       
proceed to do a marvelous  work and a   
wonder among the children of men4#iif   
#iif ,,ii ,nephi xxv1 #ae-ag4    #ad4   
,nephi1 commenting on the words of      
,isaiah regarding the  sufferings and   
subsequent triumph of the people of     
,israel1 states the  condition upon     
which their gathering is predicated1 and
 says of  ,god3--,that he has spoken    
unto the ,jews1 by the mouth of his holy
  prophets1 even from the beginning     
down1 from generation to generation1    
until the time comes that they shall be 
restored to the true church  and fold of
 ,god2 when they shall be gathered home 
to the lands of  their inheritance1 and 
shall be established in all their lands 
of  promise4#iig      #iig ,,ii ,nephi  
ix1 #b2 see also ,i ,nephi xv1 #ai2 xix1
 #ac-af2 ,,ii    ,nephi xxv1 #af1 #ag1  
#bj2 ,,iii ,nephi v1 #ba-bf2 xxi1       
#bf-bi2 xxix1 #a-h2    ,mormon v1 #ad4  

#ae4 ,it is evident from these and many 
other passages that the time  of the    
,jews' return is to be determined by    
their acceptance of ,christ  as their   
,lord4 ,when that time comes1 they are  
to be gathered to the  land of their    
fathers2 and in the work of gathering1  
the ,gentiles are  destined to take a   
great and honorable part1 as witness the
 further  words of ,nephi3--,but behold1
 thus saith the ,lord ,god3 ,when the   
day  cometh that they shall believe in  
me1 that ,i am ,christ1 then have ,i    
covenanted with their fathers that they 
shall be restored in the  flesh1 upon   
the earth1 unto the lands of their      
inheritance4 ,and it  shall come to pass
 that they shall be gathered in from    
their long  dispersion1 from the isles  
of the sea1 and from the four parts of  
the  earth2 and the nations of the      
,gentiles shall be great in the eyes of 
me1 saith ,god1 in carrying them forth  
to the land of their  inheritance4 ,yea1
 the kings of the ,gentiles shall be    

nursing fathers  unto them1 and their   
queens shall become nursing mothers2    
wherefore1  the promises of the ,lord   
are great unto the ,gentiles1 for he    
hath  spoken it1 and who can            
dispute8#iih      #iih ,,ii ,nephi x1   
#g-i2 xxx1 #g2 see also ,isaiah xlix1   
#bc2 ,,iii ,nephi    v1 #bf2 xx1 #bi4   
#af4 ,the assistance which the ,gentiles
 are to give in the preparation  of the 
,jews1 and of the remnant of the house  
of ,israel established on  the western  
continent1 is affirmed by several ,book 
of ,mormon prophets2  and1 moreover1 the
 blessings which the ,gentiles may thus 
bring upon  themselves are described in 
detail4#iii ,a single quotation must    
suffice for our present purpose2 and    
this the declaration of the risen       
,lord1 during ,his brief ministration   
among the ,nephites3--,but if they  the 
,gentiles will repent1 and hearken unto 
my words1 and harden not  their hearts1 
,i will establish my church among them1 
and they shall  come in unto the        

covenant1 and be numbered among this the
 remnant of  ,jacob1 unto whom ,i have  
given this land for their inheritance1  
and  they shall assist my people1 the   
remnant of ,jacob1 and also1 as many  of
 the house of ,israel as shall come1    
that they may build a city1  which shall
 be called the ,new ,jerusalem2 and then
 shall they assist my  people that they 
may be gathered in1 who are scattered   
upon all the  face of the land1 in unto 
the ,new ,jerusalem4 ,and then shall the
 power  of heaven come down among them2 
and ,i also will be in the midst2 and   
then shall the work of the ,father      
commence at that day1 even when this    
gospel shall be preached among the      
remnant of this people4 ,verily ,i  say 
unto you1 at that day shall the work of 
the ,father commence among  all the     
dispersed of my people2 yea1 even the   
tribes which have been  lost1 which the 
,father hath led away out of ,jerusalem4
 ,yea1 the work  shall commence among   
all the dispersed of my people1 with the

 ,father1  to prepare the way whereby   
they may come unto me1 that they may    
call  on the ,father in my name2 yea1   
and then shall the work commence1 with  
the ,father1 among all nations1 in      
preparing the way whereby his people    
may be gathered home to the land of     
their inheritance4#ajjj      #iii ,,iii 
,nephi xxi1 #ba-bg2 ,ether xiii1 #h-aj4 
#ajjj ,,iii ,nephi xxi1 #bb-bh4    #ag4 
,modern ,revelation ,concerning the     
,gathering4--,we have found  abundant   
proof of the severely literal fulfilment
 of prophecies  relating to ,israel's   
dispersion4 ,the predictions relative to
 the  gathering have been but partly    
fulfilled2 for1 while the work of       
concentration has been well begun1 and  
is now in active progress1 the          
consummation of the labor is yet future4
 ,it is reasonable1 then1 to  look for  
revelation and prophecy concerning the  
subject1 in modern  scripture as well as
 in the inspired writings of former     
times4  ,speaking to the elders of the  

,church in this dispensation1 the ,lord 
declares ,his purpose to gather ,his    
people even as a hen gathereth her      
chickens under her wings1#ajja and adds3
 ,and ye are called to  bring to pass   
the gathering of mine elect1 for mine   
elect hear my  voice1 and harden not    
their hearts2 wherefore the decree hath 
gone  forth from the ,father1 that they 
shall be gathered in unto one place     
upon the face of this land1 to prepare  
their hearts and be prepared in  all    
things against the day when tribulation 
and desolation are sent  forth upon the 
wicked4#ajjb      #ajja ,revelation     
given #ahcj1 ,doc4 and ,cov4 xxix1 #b2  
see also x1    #fe2 xliii1 #bd4         
#ajjb ,doc4 and ,cov4 xxix1 #g-h2 see   
also xxxi1 #h2 xxxiii1 #f2    xxxviii1  
#ca2 cxxxiii1 #g2 xlv1 #be2 lxxvii1 #ad2
 lxxxiv1 #b4    #ah4 ,hear further the  
word of the ,lord unto the people of    
,his ,church  in the present day1 not   
only predicting the gathering of the    
,saints to  ,zion1 but announcing that  

the hour for the gathering has          
come3--,wherefore1 prepare ye1 prepare  
ye1 ,o my people2 sanctify  yourselves2 
gather ye together1 ,o ye people of my  
,church4444 ,yea1  verily ,i say unto   
you again1 the time has come when the   
voice of the  ,lord is unto you1 go ye  
out of ,babylon1 gather ye out from     
among the  nations1 from the four winds1
 from one end of heaven to the          
other4#ajjc      #ajjc ,doc4 and ,cov4  
cxxxiii1 #d1 #g4    #ai4 ,extent and    
,purpose of the ,gathering4--,some of   
the prophecies  already cited have      
special reference to the restoration of 
the ,ten  ,tribes2 others relate to the 
return of the people of ,judah to the   
land  of their inheritance2 yet others  
refer to the re-establishment of        
,israel in general1 without mention of  
tribal or other divisions2 while  many  
passages in the revelations of the      
present dispensation deal with  the     
gathering of the ,saints who have       
numbered themselves with the  ,church of

 ,christ as re-established4 ,it is      
evident that the plan of  gathering     
comprises3--    #a4 ,return of the ,jews
 to ,jerusalem4    #b4 ,restoration of  
the ,ten ,tribes4    #c4 ,assembling in 
the land of ,zion of the people of      
,israel from the  nations of the earth4 
#bj4 ,the sequence of these subdivisions
 as here presented1 is that of          
convenience only1 and has no            
significance as to the order in which   
the  work is to be done4 ,the division  
last named constitutes the present      
great work of the ,church1 though the   
labor of assisting in the  restoration  
of the ,lost ,tribes is included4 ,we   
are informed by  revelation1 given in   
the ,kirtland ,temple1 that the         
appointment to and  the authority for   
this work were solemnly committed to the
 ,church4 ,and  through whom should such
 authority be expected to come8 ,surely 
through  him who had received it by     
,divine commission in a former          
dispensation  of united ,israel4 ,moses1

 who was the chief representative of    
,israel's  ,god when the ,lord set ,his 
hand the first time to lead ,his people 
to  the land of their appointed         
inheritance1 has come in person and has 
committed to the latter-day ,church the 
authority to minister in the  work now  
that the ,lord has set his hand the     
second time to recover  ,his people4    
#ba4 ,joseph ,smith and ,oliver         
,cowdery1 each of whom had been duly    
ordained to the apostleship1 testify of 
the manifestations made to  them1 in    
these words3--,the heavens were again   
opened unto us1 and  ,moses appeared    
before us1 and committed unto us the    
keys of the  gathering of ,israel from  
the four parts of the earth1 and the    
leading  of the ten tribes from the land
 of the north4#ajjd ,the importance of  
the work thus required of the ,church   
was emphasized by a later  revelation1  
in which the ,lord gave this            
command3--,send forth the  elders of my 
church unto the nations which are afar  

off2 unto the  islands of the sea2 send 
forth unto foreign lands2 call upon all 
nations2 firstly upon the ,gentiles1 and
 then upon the ,jews4 ,and  behold1 and 
lo1 this shall be their cry1 and the    
voice of the ,lord  unto all people3 ,go
 ye forth unto the land of ,zion4444    
,let them1  therefore1 who are among the
 ,gentiles flee unto ,zion4 ,and let    
them who  be of ,judah flee unto        
,jerusalem1 unto the mountain of the    
,lord's  house4 ,go ye out from among   
the nations1 even from ,babylon1 from   
the  midst of wickedness1 which is      
spiritual ,babylon4#ajje      #ajjd     
,doc4 and ,cov4 cx1 #aa4      #ajje     
,doc4 and ,cov4 cxxxiii1 #h-i1 #ab-ad4  
#bb4 ,the last sentence of the foregoing
 quotation expresses the  purpose for   
which this work of gathering the ,saints
 from the nations  of the earth has been
 ordained4 ,the ,lord would have ,his   
people  separate themselves from the    
sins of the world1 and depart from      
spiritual ,babylon1 that they may learn 

the ways of ,god and serve ,him  the    
more fully4 ,john the ,revelator1 while 
in exile on ,patmos1 saw in  vision the 
fate of the sinful world4 ,an angel came
 down from heaven1  and he cried        
mightily with a strong voice1 saying1   
,babylon the great  is fallen1 is       
fallen1 and is become the habitation of 
devils1 and the  hold of every foul     
spirit1 and a cage of every unclean and 
hateful  bird4444 ,and ,i heard another 
voice from heaven1 saying1 ,come out of 
her1 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#ajjf         
#ajjf ,rev4 xviii1 #b1 #d-e4    #bc4    
,the faith of the ,saints teaches that  
in the day of the ,lord's  righteous    
fury1 safety will be found in ,zion4    
,the importance which the  ,latter-day  
,saints associate with the work of      
gathering1 and the  fidelity with which 
they seek to discharge the duty enjoined

 upon them  by ,divine authority in the 
matter of warning the world of the      
impending dangers1 as described in the  
,revelator's vision1 are  sufficiently  
demonstrated by the great extent of the 
missionary labor  as at present         
prosecuted by this people4#ajjg         
#ajjg ,see ,note #a4    #bd4 ,israel a  
,chosen ,people4--,it is evident that   
the ,lord has  conferred the choicest of
 blessings upon ,his people             
,israel4#ajjh ,with  ,abraham1 the      
patriarch of the nation1 ,god entered   
into a covenant and  said3--,i will make
 of thee a great nation1 and ,i will    
bless thee and  make thy name great2 and
 thou shalt be a blessing2 and ,i will  
bless  them that bless thee1 and curse  
him that curseth thee1 and in thee      
shall all families of the earth be      
blessed4#ajji ,this was to be an        
everlasting covenant4#ajaj ,it was      
confirmed upon ,isaac1#ajaa and in  turn
 upon ,jacob who was called             
,israel4#ajab ,the promises regarding   

the multitudinous posterity1 among whom 
were to be counted many of  royal rank1 
have been literally fulfilled4 ,no less 
certain is the  realization of the      
second part of the prediction1 that in  
and through  ,abraham's descendants     
should all nations of the earth be      
blessed4 ,for1  by a world-wide         
dispersion1 the children of ,israel have
 been mingled  with the nations2 and the
 blood of the chosen seed has been      
sprinkled  among the peoples4#ajac ,and 
now1 in this the day of gathering1 when 
the ,lord is again bringing ,his people 
together to honor and bless them  above 
all that the world can give1 every      
nation with the blood of  ,israel in the
 veins of its members will partake of   
the blessings4      #ajjh ,see ,note #b4
      #ajji ,gen4 xii1 #a-b2 see also   
,gal4 iii1 #ad1 #af4      #ajaj ,gen4   
xvii1 #f-h4      #ajaa ,gen4 xxvi1 #c-d4
      #ajab ,gen4 xxxv1 #aa-ab4         
#ajac ,see ,note #c4    #be4 ,but there 
is another and a more striking proof of 

blessings  flowing to all nations       
through the house of ,israel4 ,was not  
the  ,redeemer born in the flesh through
 the lineage of ,abraham8 ,surely the   
blessings of that ,divine birth are     
extended1 not only to the nations  and  
families of the earth collectively1 but 
to every individual in  mortality4      
#bf4 ,restoration of the ,ten           
,tribes4--,from the scriptural passages 
already considered1 it is plain that1   
while many of those belonging to  the   
,ten ,tribes were dispersed among the   
nations1 a sufficient number  to justify
 the retention of the original name were
 led away as a body1  and are now in    
existence in some place where the ,lord 
has hidden  them4 ,to them ,christ went 
to minister after ,his visit to the     
,nephites1  as before stated4#ajad      
,their return constitutes a very        
important part  of the gathering1       
characteristic of the dispensation of   
the fullness  of times4      #ajad ,pp4 
#cch-cci4    #bg4 ,to the scriptures    

already quoted as relating to their     
return1  the following should be added3 
,as a feature of the work of ,god in the
  day of restoration we are told3--,and 
they who are in the north  countries    
shall come in remembrance before the    
,lord1 and their  prophets shall hear   
his voice1 and shall no longer stay     
themselves1  and they shall smite the   
rocks1 and the ice shall flow down at   
their  presence4 ,and an highway shall  
be cast up in the midst of the great    
deep4 ,their enemies shall become a prey
 unto them4 ,and in the barren  deserts 
there shall come forth pools of living  
water2 and the parched  ground shall no 
longer be a thirsty land4 ,and they     
shall bring forth  their rich treasures 
unto the children of ,ephraim my        
servants4 ,and the  boundaries of the   
everlasting hills shall tremble at their
 presence4  ,and there shall they fall  
down1 and be crowned with glory1 even in
  ,zion1 by the hands of the servants of
 the ,lord1 even the children of        

,ephraim2 and they shall be filled with 
songs of everlasting joy4  ,behold this 
is the blessing of the everlasting ,god 
upon the tribes of  ,israel1 and the    
richer blessing upon the head of        
,ephraim and his  fellows4#ajae         
#ajae ,doc4 and ,cov4 cxxxiii1 #bf-cd4  
#bh4 ,from the express and repeated     
declaration1 that in their exodus  from 
the north the ,ten ,tribes are to be led
 to ,zion1 there to receive  honor at   
the hands of some of the children of    
,ephraim1 who necessarily  are to have  
previously gathered there1 it is plain  
that ,zion is to be  first established4 
,the establishment of ,zion will receive
 attention in  the next lecture4        
,,notes4         #a4 ,gathering ,now in 
,progress4--,the ,latter-day ,saints are
       building up stakes of ,zion in   
the ,rocky ,mountain valleys1 and in    
this way are fulfilling predictions of  
the ancient prophets4       ,isaiah hath
 it written1 ',and it shall come to pass
 in the last       days1 that the       

mountain of the ,lord's house shall be  
established       in the top of the     
mountains1 and shall be exalted above   
the       hills2 and all nations shall  
flow unto it4 ,and many people shall    
go and say1 ,come ye1 and let us go up  
to the mountain of the       ,lord1 to  
the house of the ,god of ,jacob2 and he 
will teach us of       his ways1 and we 
will walk in his paths2 for out of ,zion
 shall go       forth the law1 and the  
word of the ,lord from ,jerusalem'      
7,isaiah       ii1 #b-c74 ,it is        
remarkable how minutely the ,latter-day 
,saints are       fulfilling the terms  
of this prophecy3 #a4 ,they are building
 the       temples of ,god in the tops  
of the mountains1 so that the house of  
the ,lord is truly where ,isaiah saw it 
would be4 #b4 ,the ,saints       engaged
 in this work are people gathered from  
nearly all the       nations under      
heaven1 so that all nations are flowing 
unto the       house of the ,lord in the
 top of the mountains4 #c4 ,the people  

who       receive the gospel in foreign 
lands joyfully say to their             
relatives and friends3 ,come ye1 and let
 us go up to the house of       the     
,lord1 and he will teach us of his ways 
and we will walk in       his           
paths4--,roberts' ,outlines of          
,ecclesiastical ,history1 p4       #dji4
         #b4 ,israel a ,chosen          
,people4--,the promise to ,abram that he
       should become a great nation1 has
 been fulfilled in his chosen       seed
 occupying the land of ,palestine1 as   
such1 for fifteen       hundred years4  
,it will again be fulfilled when they   
become a       nation on that land      
forever4 ,the history of the eastern    
hemisphere for the two thousand years   
which intervened between       the      
calling of ,abraham and the destruction 
of ,jerusalem by the       ,romans1     
witnesses that every nation that fought 
against ,israel1       or in any way    
oppressed them1 passed away4 ,time will 
show the       same general result from 

the destruction of ,jerusalem to the    
millennium4 ,the ,prophet ,isaiah1      
speaking of the time when the           
,lord should favor ,israel1 said1 ',all 
they that were incensed       against   
thee shall be ashamed and confounded3   
they shall be as       nothing2 and they
 that strive with thee shall perish'    
7xli1 #aa74       ',i will feed them    
that oppress thee with their own flesh2 
and       they shall be drunken with    
their own blood' 7xlix1 #bg74 ',i have  
taken out of thine hand the cup of      
trembling1 even the dregs of       the  
cup of my fury2 thou shalt no more drink
 of it again3 but ,i       will put it  
into the hand of them that afflict thee2
 which have       said to thy soul1 ,bow
 down1 that we may go over4'--,a        
,compendium       of the ,doctrines of  
the ,gospel1 by ,elders ,franklin ,d4   
,richards       and ,james ,a4 ,little1 
pp4 #bdf-bdg4         #c4 ,israel ,among
 the ,nations4--,when we reflect that it
 is       thirty-two centuries since the

 enemies of ,israel began to oppress    
them in the land of ,canaan1 that about 
one-third of the time they       were a 
people in that land they were more or   
less in bondage to       their enemies2 
that seven hundred years before the     
coming of       ,christ the ten tribes  
were scattered throughout western ,asia2
       that we have no record that any  
have as yet returned to the land        
of their inheritance2 that nearly six   
hundred years before       ,christ1 the 
,babylonish captivity took place1 and   
that1 according       to the ,book of   
,esther1 only a small part of the ,jews 
ever       returned1 but were scattered 
through the #abg provinces of the       
,persian empire2 that ,asia was the hive
 from which swarmed the       nomadic   
tribes who over-ran ,europe2 that at the
 destruction of       ,jerusalem by the 
,romans the ,jews were scattered over   
the known       world2 we may well ask  
the question1 ,does not ,israel to-day  
constitute a large proportion of the    

human       family8--,compendium1 by    
,elders ,f4 ,d4 ,richards and ,james ,a4
       ,little1 p4 #ij4                 
,,lecture ,,xix4    ,,zion4             
,article #aj4--,we believe 444 ,that    
,zion will be built upon this       the 
,american  continent1 etc4      #a4 ,two
 ,gathering ,places4--,some of the      
passages quoted in connection  with the 
dispersion and the subsequent re-union  
of ,israel1 make  reference to          
,jerusalem which is to be               
re-established1 and ,zion which  is to  
be built4 ,true1 the latter name is in  
many cases used as a  synonym of the    
first1 owing to the fact that a certain 
hill within the  ,jerusalem of old was  
known specifically as ,zion1 or ,mount  
,zion2 and  the name of a part is often 
used figuratively to designate the      
whole2  but in other passages1 the      
separate and distinctive meaning of the 
terms is clear4 ,the prophet ,micah1 who
 ministered during the seventh  century 
before the birth of ,christ1 full of    

power by the spirit of  the ,lord1 and  
of judgment1 and of might1#ajaf         
predicted the  destruction of ,jerusalem
 and its associated ,zion1 the former to
  become heaps1 and the latter to be    
plowed as a field2#ajag and  then       
announced a new condition which is to   
exist in the last days1  when another   
mountain of the house of the ,lord is to
 be established1  and this is to be     
called ,zion4#ajah ,the two places are  
mentioned  separately in the            
prophecy3--,for the law shall go forth  
of ,zion1 and  the word of the ,lord    
from ,jerusalem4#ajai      #ajaf ,micah 
iii1 #h4      #ajag ,micah iii1 #ab2 see
 also page #ccg of this book4      #ajah
 ,micah iv1 #a4      #ajai ,micah iv1   
#b2 ,isaiah ii1 #b-c4    #b4 ,joel adds 
this testimony regarding the two places 
from which the  ,lord shall rule over   
,his people3--,the ,lord also shall roar
 out of  ,zion1 and utter his voice from
 ,jerusalem4#ajbj ,zephaniah breaks     
forth into song1 with the triumph of    

,israel as his theme1 and  addresses the
 daughters of both cities3--,sing1 ,o   
daughter of ,zion2  shout1 ,o ,israel2  
be glad and rejoice with all the heart1 
,o daughter of  ,jerusalem4#ajba ,then1 
the prophet predicts separately of each 
place3--,in that day it shall be said to
 ,jerusalem1 ,fear thou not3 and  to    
,zion1 ,let not thine hands be          
slack4#ajbb ,furthermore1 ,zechariah    
records the revealed will in this       
way3--,and the ,lord shall yet  comfort 
,zion1 and shall yet choose             
,jerusalem4#ajbc      #ajbj ,joel iii1  
#af4      #ajba ,zeph4 iii1 #ad4        
#ajbb ,verse #af4      #ajbc ,zech4 i1  
#ag2 ,see also ii1 #g-ab4    #c4 ,when  
the people of the house of ,jacob are   
prepared to receive the  ,redeemer as   
their rightful king1 when the scattered 
sheep of ,israel1  have been            
sufficiently humbled through suffering  
and sorrow to know  and to follow their 
,shepherd1 then1 indeed1 will ,he come  
to reign  among them4 ,then a literal   

kingdom will be established1 wide as the
  world1 with the ,king of ,kings on the
 throne2 and the two capitals of  this  
mighty empire will be1 ,jerusalem on the
 eastern hemisphere1 and  ,zion on the  
western4 ,isaiah speaks of the glory of 
,christ's kingdom in  the latter days1  
and ascribes separately to ,zion and to 
,jerusalem the  blessings of            
triumph3#ajbd--,o ,zion1 that bringest  
good tidings1 get  thee up into the high
 mountain2 ,o ,jerusalem1 that bringest 
good  tidings1 lift up thy voice with   
strength2 lift it up1 be not afraid2    
say unto the cities of ,judah1 behold   
your ,god4#ajbe      #ajbd ,isa4 iv1    
#c-d4      #ajbe ,isa4 xl1 #i4    #d4   
,the ,name ,zion is used in several     
distinct senses4 ,by  derivation1 the   
word ,zion1 or1 as written by the       
,greeks1 ,sion1  probably meant bright1 
or sunny2 but this commonplace          
signification is lost in the deeper and 
more affecting meaning which  the word  
as a name and title came to acquire4 ,as

 stated1 a particular  hill within the  
site of the city of ,jerusalem was      
called ,zion4 ,when  ,david gained his  
victory over the ,jebusites1 he captured
 and occupied  the stronghold of ,zion1 
and named it the city of ,david4#ajbf   
,zion  then was the name of a place2 and
 it has been applied as follows3        
#ajbf ,,ii ,sam4 v1 #f-g2 see also ,i   
,kings ii1 #aj1 and viii1 #a4           
#a4 ,to the hill itself1 or ,mount      
,zion1 and1 by extension of             
meaning1 to ,jerusalem4         #b4 ,to 
the location of the mountain of the     
house of the ,lord1       which ,micah  
predicts shall be established in the    
last days1       distinct from          
,jerusalem4 ,to these we may add another
 application       of the name as made  
known through modern revelation1 viz43  
#c4 ,to the city of ,holiness1 founded  
by ,enoch1 the seventh       patriarch  
in descent from ,adam1 and called by him
 ,zion4#ajbg      #ajbg ,pearl of ,great
 ,price3 ,moses vii1 #ah-ba4    #d4 ,yet

 another use of the term is to be       
noted--viz43 a metaphorical  one--by    
which the ,church of ,god is called     
,zion1 comprising1 according  to the    
,lord's own definition1 the pure in     
heart4#ajbh      #ajbh ,doc4 and ,cov4  
xcvii1 #ba4    #e4 ,jerusalem4--,as a   
fitting introduction to our study       
regarding the  new ,zion1 yet to be     
built1 as we shall presently see1 on the
 western  hemisphere1 let us briefly    
consider the history and destiny of     
,jerusalem1#ajbi the ,zion of the       
eastern continent4 ,the word ,jerusalem 
is generally believed to mean by        
derivation the foundation or city  of   
peace4 ,we meet it for the first time as
 ,salem1 the abode of  ,melchizedek1    
high-priest and king1 to whom ,abram    
paid tithes1 in the  nineteenth century 
before ,christ4#ajcj ,we find a direct  
statement  concerning the identity of   
,salem and ,jerusalem by ,josephus4#ajca
 ,as  noted1 the city was wrested from  
the ,jebusites by ,david2#ajcb this  was

 about #ajdh ,b4,c4 ,during the reigns  
of ,david and ,solomon1 the city  as the
 capital of the kingdom of undivided    
,israel acquired great fame  for its    
riches1 beauty1 and strength1 its chief 
attraction being the  marvelous temple  
of ,solomon which adorned ,mount        
,moriah4#ajcc ,after  the division of   
the kingdom1 ,jerusalem remained the    
capital of the  smaller kingdom of      
,judah4      #ajbi ,see ,note #a4       
#ajcj ,gen4 xiv1 #ah-bj4      #ajca     
,ant4 of the ,jews ,i1 chapter x4       
#ajcb ,,ii ,sam4 v1 #f-g4      #ajcc ,i 
,kin4 v-viii2 ,,ii ,chron4 ii-vii4      
#f4 ,among its many and varied          
vicissitudes incident to the fortunes   
of war1#ajcd may be mentioned3--the     
destruction of the city and the         
enslaving of the inhabitants by         
,nebuchadnezzar1 #ehh-ehe ,b4,c42#ajce  
its re-establishment at the close of the
 ,babylonian captivity#ajcf  7about #eae
 ,b4,c472 and its final overthrow at the
 disruption of the  ,jewish nation by   

the ,romans1 #gj-ga ,a4,d4 ,in          
importance1 and in the love  of the     
,jews1 the city was the very heart of   
,jewry3 and in the  estimation of       
,christians1 it has ever been invested  
with sanctity4 ,it  occupied an         
important place in the earthly mission  
of the ,redeemer1  and was the scene of 
,his death1 resurrection1 and ascension4
 ,the  ,savior's high regard for the    
chief city of ,his people is beyond     
question4 ,he forbade that any should   
swear by it1 for it is the city  of the 
great ,king2#ajcg and because of its    
sins1 ,he lamented over it  as a father 
for a wayward child4#ajch      #ajcd ,i 
,kings xiv1 #be2 ,,ii ,kings xiv1       
#ac-ad2 xxv2 ,,ii ,chron4 xii1    #b-e2 
xxxvi1 #ad1 #ba2 ,jer4 xxxix1 #e-h4     
#ajce ,jer4 lii1 #ab-ae4      #ajcf     
,ezra i-iii2 ,neh4 ii4      #ajcg ,matt4
 v1 #ce2 see also ,psa4 xlviii1 #b2     
lxxxvii1 #c4      #ajch ,matt4 xxiii1   
#cg2 ,luke xiii1 #cd4    #g4 ,but1 great
 as is ,jerusalem's past1 a yet greater 

future awaits  her4 ,again will the city
 become a royal seat1 her throne that of
 the  ,king of ,kings1 with permanency  
of glory assured4    #h4 ,the           
,latter-day ,zion2 ,new                 
,jerusalem4--,the biblical statements   
concerning the ,zion of the last days as
 separate from the ancient or  the      
re-established ,jerusalem of the east1  
are silent regarding the  geographical  
location of this second and modern      
capital of ,christ's  kingdom4 ,we learn
 something1 however1 from the ,bible as 
to the  physical characteristics of the 
region wherein ,zion is to be built4    
,thus1 ,micah1 after predicting the     
desolation of the hill1 ,mount ,zion1   
and of ,jerusalem in general1 describes 
in contrast the new ,zion1  wherein the 
house of the ,lord is to be built in the
 last days4 ,these  are his words3--,but
 in the last days it shall come to pass1
 that the  mountain of the house of the 
,lord shall be established in the top of
  the mountains1 and it shall be exalted

 above the hills2 and people  shall flow
 unto it4 ,and many nations shall come1 
and say1 ,come1 and  let us go up to the
 mountain of the ,lord1 and to the house
 of the ,god  of ,jacob2 and he will    
teach us of his ways1 and we will walk  
in his  paths2 for the law shall go     
forth of ,zion1 and the word of the     
,lord  from ,jerusalem4#ajci      #ajci 
,micah iv1 #a-b4    #i4 ,the prophecy of
 ,isaiah is not less explicit regarding 
the  mountainous character of the       
country of modern ,zion2#ajdj and1      
furthermore1 this writer assures us that
 the righteous man only shall  be able  
to dwell amid the fiery splendor of this
 new abode2 and of him  the prophet     
says3--,he shall dwell on high3 his     
place of defence shall  be the munitions
 of rocks2 and adds the statement that  
the land shall  be very far off4#ajda   
,in another passage1 he mentions a      
gathering  place beyond the rivers of   
,ethiopia1 and1 on the mountains where  
the ,lord is to set up an ensign to the 

world4#ajdb      #ajdj ,isa4 ii1 #b-c4  
#ajda ,isa4 xxxiii4 #ae-ag4      #ajdb  
,isa4 xviii1 #a-c4    #aj4 ,the         
teachings of the ,book of ,mormon1 and  
the truths made known  through          
revelation in the present dispensation1 
regarding the ,zion of  the last days1  
while agreeing with the biblical record 
as to the general  description of the   
situation1 and the glories of the city1 
are more  explicit in regard to the     
location4 ,in these scriptures1 the     
names  ,zion and ,new ,jerusalem are    
used synonymously1 the latter           
designation  being given in honor of the
 ,jerusalem of the east4 ,john the      
,revelator  saw in vision a ,new        
,jerusalem as characteristic of the     
latter times4#ajdc  ,ether1 writing #fjj
 ,b4,c4 as a prophet among the          
,jaredites1--a people  who had inhabited
 parts of ,north ,america for centuries 
before ,lehi and  his followers came to 
this hemisphere1#ajdd--;foretold the    
establishment of the ,new ,jerusalem on 

this continent1 and emphasized  the     
distinction between that city and the   
,jerusalem of old4      #ajdc ,rev4 xxi1
 #b4      #ajdd ,see page #bff4    #aa4 
,the ,nephite prophet1 ,moroni1 in the  
synopsis of the writings of  ,ether1    
says of the latter1 that he saw         
concerning the land of ,north  ,america1
 ,that it was the place of the ,new     
,jerusalem1 which should  come down out 
of heaven1 and the ,holy ,sanctuary of  
the ,lord4 ,and  adds3 ,behold1 ,ether  
saw the days of ,christ1 and he spake   
concerning a  new ,jerusalem1 upon this 
land2 ,and he spake also concerning the 
house  of ,israel1 and the ,jerusalem   
from whence ,lehi should come2 after it 
should be destroyed1 it should be built 
up again a holy city unto the  ,lord1   
wherefore it could not be a ,new        
,jerusalem1 for it had been in a  time  
of old1 but it should be built up again1
 and become a holy city  of the ,lord2  
and it should be built unto the house of
 ,israel3 ,and that  a ,new ,jerusalem  

should be built up upon this land1 unto 
the remnant of  the seed of ,joseph1 for
 which things there has been a type3    
,for as  ,joseph brought his father down
 into the land of ,egypt1 even so he    
died  there2 wherefore the ,lord brought
 a remnant of the seed of ,joseph out   
of the land of ,jerusalem1 that he might
 be merciful unto the seed of  ,joseph1 
that they should perish not1 even as he 
was merciful unto the  father of        
,joseph1 that he should perish not2     
,wherefore the remnant of  the house of 
,joseph shall be built upon this land2  
and it shall be a  land of their        
inheritance2 and they shall build up a  
holy city unto  the ,lord1 like unto the
 ,jerusalem of old2 and they shall no   
more be  confounded1 until the end come1
 when the earth shall pass away4#ajde   
#ajde ,book of ,mormon1 ,ether xiii1    
#c-h4    #ab4 ,jesus ,christ visited the
 ,nephites in ,north ,america soon after
  ,his resurrection1 and in the course  
of ,his teachings said3--,and  behold1  

this people will ,i establish in this   
land1 unto the fulfilling  of the       
covenant which ,i made with your father 
,jacob2 and it shall be a  ,new         
,jerusalem4 ,and the powers of heaven   
shall be in the midst of this  people2  
yea1 even ,i will be in the midst of    
you4#ajdf ,our ,savior  predicted       
further1 as set forth in a previous     
lecture1#ajdg that the  ,gentiles1 if   
they would repent of their sins1 and not
 harden their  hearts1 should be        
included in the covenant1 and be        
permitted to assist  in the building of 
a city to be called the ,new            
,jerusalem4#ajdh      #ajdf ,,iii ,nephi
 xx1 #bb4      #ajdg ,see pp4 #cdh-cdi4 
#ajdh ,,iii ,nephi xxi1 #bb-bd4    #ac4 
,ether the ,jaredite1 and ,john the     
,revelator1 separated by more  than six 
centuries of time and prophesying on    
opposite hemispheres1  each saw the ,new
 ,jerusalem come down from heaven1      
prepared1 says the  ,jewish apostle1 as 
a bride adorned for her husband4#ajdi   

,we have  already spoken of the ,zion of
 ,enoch1#ajej a city once situated on   
the  ,north ,american continent1 whose  
inhabitants were so righteous that  they
 too were called ,zion1 because they    
were of one heart and one  mind4#ajea   
,they1 with their patriarch leader1 were
 translated from  the earth1 or1 as we  
read1 it came to pass that ,zion was    
not1 for  ,god received it up into ,his 
own bosom1 and from thence went forth   
the  saying1 ',zion is fled4'#ajeb ,but 
before this event1 the ,lord had        
revealed unto ,enoch the ,divine purpose
 in regard to humanity1 even  unto the  
last of time4 ,great events are to mark 
the latter days2 the  elect are to be   
gathered from the four quarters of the  
earth to a  place prepared for them2 the
 tabernacle of the ,lord is to be       
established there1 and the place shall  
be called ,zion1 a ,new  ,jerusalem4    
,then ,enoch and his people are to      
return to earth and meet  the gathered  
elect in the holy place4      #ajdi     

,rev4 xxi1 #b4      #ajej ,page #ceh4   
#ajea ,pearl of ,great ,price3 ,moses   
vii1 #ah4      #ajeb ,pearl of ,great   
,price3 ,moses vii1 #fi2 ,doc4 and ,cov4
 xxxviii1    #d2 xlv1 #aa-ab2 lxxxiv1   
#ii-ajj4    #ad4 ,we have seen that the 
names ,zion and ,new ,jerusalem are used
  interchangeably2 and1 furthermore1    
that righteous people as well as        
sanctified places are called ,zion2 for1
 by the ,lord's special word1  ,zion to 
,him means the pure in heart4#ajec ,the 
,church in this day  teaches that the   
,new ,jerusalem seen by ,john1 and by   
the prophet ,ether1  as descending from 
the heavens in glory1 is the return of  
exalted  ,enoch and his righteous       
people2 and that the people or ,zion of 
,enoch1  and the modern ,zion1 or the   
gathered elect on the western continent1
  will become one people4      #ajec    
,doc4 and ,cov4 xcvii1 #ba2 ,pearl of   
,great ,price3 ,moses vii1    #ah2 also 
,doc4 and ,cov4 lxxxiv1 #ajj4    #ae4   
,the ,book of ,mormon is explicit in    

foretelling the establishment  of ,zion 
on the western continent2 but the       
precise location was not  revealed until
 after the restoration of the priesthood
 in the present  dispensation4 ,in      
#ahca1 the ,lord commanded the elders of
 ,his ,church in  this wise3--,go ye    
forth into the western countries1 call  
upon the  inhabitants to repent1 and    
inasmuch as they do repent1 build up    
churches unto me2 and with one heart and
 with one mind1 gather up your  riches  
that ye may purchase an inheritance     
which shall hereafter be  appointed unto
 you2 and it shall be called the ,new   
,jerusalem1 a land  of peace1 a city of 
refuge1 a place of safety for the saints
 of the  ,most ,high ,god2 and the glory
 of the ,lord shall be there1 and the   
terror of the ,lord shall also be there1
 insomuch that the wicked will  not come
 unto it1 and it shall be called        
,zion4#ajed      #ajed ,doc4 and ,cov4  
xiv1 #fd-fg2 read further1 verses       
#fh-ga4    #af4 ,later revelations      

called the elders of the ,church to     
assemble in  western ,missouri1#ajee and
 designated that place as the land      
appointed and consecrated for the       
gathering of the ,saints4#ajef          
,wherefore this is the land of promise1 
and the place for the city of           
,zion4#ajeg ,the town of ,independence  
was named as the center place1  and the 
site for the temple was designated1 the 
,saints being counseled  to purchase    
land there1 that they may obtain it for 
an everlasting  inheritance4#ajeh ,on   
,august #crd1 #ahca1 the temple site    
thus named  was solemnly dedicated by   
the prophet1 ,joseph ,smith1 and his    
associates in the priesthood4#ajei ,the 
region round about was also  dedicated1 
that it might be a gathering place for  
the people of ,god4      #ajee ,doc4 and
 ,cov4 lii1 #b-c2 see ,note #b4         
#ajef ,doc4 and ,cov4 lvii1 #a-b        
#ajeg ,verse #b4      #ajeh ,verses     
#d-e4      #ajei ,see ,note #c4    #ag4 
,such1 then1 is the belief of the       

,latter-day ,saints2 such are the       
teachings of the ,church4 ,but the plan 
of building up ,zion has not yet  been  
consummated4 ,the ,saints were not      
permitted to enter into  immediate      
possession of the land1 which was       
promised them as an  everlasting        
inheritance4 ,even as years elapsed     
between the time of the  ,lord's promise
 to ,israel of old that ,canaan should  
be their  inheritance1 and the time of  
their entering into possession          
thereof1--years devoted to the people's 
toilsome and sorrowful  preparation for 
the fulfilment1--so in these            
latter-days1 the ,divine  purpose is    
held in abeyance1 while the people are  
being sanctified  for the great gift1   
and for the greater responsibilities    
associated  with it4 ,in the meantime1  
the honest in heart are gathering to the
  valleys of the ,rocky ,mountains2 and 
here1 in the tops of the  mountains1    
exalted above the hills1 temples have   
been erected1 and all  nations are      

flowing unto this region4 ,but ,zion    
shall yet be  established on the chosen 
site2 she shall not be moved out of her 
place1 and the pure in heart shall      
surely return1 with songs of            
everlasting joy to build up the waste   
places of ,zion4#ajfj      #ajfj ,doc4  
and ,cov4 ci1 #ag-ah2 see also ci1 #dc1 
#gd1 #ge2 ciii1 #a1    #aa1 #ac1 #ae2   
cv1 #a1 #b1 #i1 #ac1 #af1 #cd2 cix1 #dg2
 cxxxvi1 #ah4    #ah4 ,but gathered     
,israel cannot be confined to the center
 place1  nor to the region immediately  
adjacent2 other places have been and    
will be appointed1 and these are called 
,stakes of ,zion4#ajfa ,many  stakes    
have been established in the regions    
inhabited by the  ,latter-day ,saints1  
and these are to be permanent           
possessions2 and  thence will go those  
who are appointed from among the worthy 
to  receive possession of their         
inheritances4 ,zion is to be chastened1 
but  only for a little season1#ajfb then
 will come the time of her  redemption4 

#ajfa ,doc4 and ,cov4 ci1 #ba2 see page 
#bae4      #ajfb ,doc4 and ,cov4 c1 #ac4
    #ai4 ,that time will be appointed of
 ,god1 yet it is to be determined       
according to the faithfulness of the    
people4 ,their wickedness causeth  the  
,lord to tarry2 for1 saith              
,he3--,therefore1 in consequence of the 
transgression of my people1 it is       
expedient in me that mine elders  should
 wait for a little season for the       
redemption of ,zion4#ajfc ,and          
again1--,zion shall be redeemed in mine 
own due time4#ajfd ,but the  ,lord's    
time in giving blessings unto ,his      
people is dependent upon  them4 ,as long
 ago as #ahcd came the word of the ,lord
 unto the  ,church3--,behold1 ,i say    
unto you1 were it not for the           
transgressions  of my people 444 they   
might have been redeemed even now4#ajfe 
#ajfc ,doc4 and ,cov4 cv1 #i2 also      
cxxxvi1 #ca4      #ajfd ,doc4 and ,cov4 
cxxxvi1 #ah4      #ajfe ,doc4 and ,cov4 
cv1 #a-b4      ,,notes4         #a4     

,jerusalem4--,the city has1 in different
 ages1 borne a       variety of names1  
and even in the ,bible it has several   
designations4 ,salem1 mentioned in ,gen4
 xiv1 #ah1 was perhaps its       name in
 the time of ,melchizedek1 and it is    
certainly so called in       ,psa4      
lxxvi1 #b4 ,isaiah 7xxix1 #a1 #g7 calls 
it ,ariel4 ,jebus1 or       ,jebusi1 the
 city of the ,jebusites1 was its name in
 the days of       ,joshua and the      
,judges 7,josh4 xv1 #h2 xviii1 #af1 #bh2
 ,judges xix1       #aj1 #aa71 and this 
name continued in use till ,david's time
 7,i       ,chron4 xi1 #d1 #e74 ,some   
have thought that ,jerusalem is itself a
       corruption of ,jebus-,salem1 but 
it is a theory unsupported by           
facts4 ,jerusalem is also termed 'the   
city of ,david1' 'the city of           
,judah1' 'the holy city1' 'the city of  
,god' 7,,ii ,kings xiv1 #bj2 ,,ii       
,chron4 xxv1 #bh2 ,neh4 xi1 #ah2 ,psa4  
lxxxvii1 #c74 ,to this day it is        
called el-,kuds1 or 'the holy1' in most 

countries of the ,east4 ,no       city  
in the world has received more honorable
 appellations2 our       ,savior himself
 called it 'the city of the great       
,king4'--,bible       ,dictionary1      
,cassell  ,co41 p4 #fjj4         #b4    
,the ,founding of ,zion in              
,missouri4--444 ,a company of ,saints   
known as the ,colesville ,branch--from  
their having lived at       ,colesville1
 ,broome ,county1 ,new ,york--had       
arrived in ,missouri1 and       having  
received instructions to purchase the   
lands in the regions       around about 
,zion1 they secured a tract of land in a
 fertile       prairie some ten or      
twelve miles west of ,independence1 in  
,kaw       township1 not far from the   
present location of ,kansas ,city4 ,on  
the #bnd of ,august #ahca--the day      
preceding the dedication of the         
temple site--in the settlement of the   
,colesville ,saints1 the       first log
 was laid for a house as the foundation 
of ,zion4 ,the log       was carried by 

twelve men1 in honor of the ,twelve     
,tribes of       ,israel2 and ,elder    
,sidney ,rigdon consecrated and         
dedicated the       land of ,zion for   
the gathering of the ,saints4--,outlines
 of       ,ecclesiastical ,history1 by  
,elder ,b4 ,h4 ,roberts1 p4 #ceb4       
#c4 ,temple ,site1 ,independence1       
,jackson ,county1                       
,missouri4--,taking the road running    
west from the ,court ,house       for a 
scant half mile1 you come to the summit 
of a crowning hill1       the slope of  
which to the south and west is quite    
abrupt1 but       very gradual toward   
the north and east4444 ,this is the     
temple       site4 ,it was upon this    
spot on the third day of ,august1 #ahca1
       that ,joseph ,smith1 ,sidney     
,rigdon1 ,edward ,partridge1 ,w4 ,w4    
,phelps1       ,oliver ,cowdery1 ,martin
 ,harris1 and ,joseph ,coe1 and another 
person       whose name ,i cannot learn1
 for there were eight in all--men in    
whom the ,lord was well pleased1        

assembled to dedicate this place        
as the temple site in ,zion4 ,the       
eighty-seventh psalm was read4          
,joseph the prophet then dedicated the  
spot1 where is to be       built a      
temple on which the glory of ,god shall 
rest4 ,yea1 the       great ,god hath so
 decreed it1 saying3 ',verily this      
generation       shall not pass away1   
until an house shall be built unto the  
,lord1       and a cloud shall rest upon
 it1 which cloud shall be even the      
glory of the ,lord1 which shall fill the
 house4444 ,and the sons of             
,moses1 and also the sons of ,aaron1    
shall offer an acceptable               
offering1 and sacrifice in the house of 
the ,lord1 which house       shall be   
built unto the ,lord in this generation1
 upon the       consecrated spot as ,i  
have appointed4'--7,doc4 and ,cov4 sec4 
lxxxiv1 #e1 #ca47--;,elder ,b4 ,h4      
,roberts1 ,missouri ,persecutions4      
,see ,the ,house of the ,lord1 by ,james
 ,e4 ,talmage1 ,chapter ,v4             

,,lecture ,,xx4    ,,christ',s ,,reign  
,,on ,,earth4         ,article #aj4--,we
 believe 444 ,that ,christ will reign   
personally       upon the earth1 etc4   
#a4 ,christ's ,first and ,second        
,advents4--,the facts of ,christ's birth
  in the flesh1 of ,his thirty and three
 years of life among mortals1 of  ,his  
ministry1 sufferings1 and death1 are    
universally accepted as  attested       
history4 ,not alone do the records that 
the ,christian world  regards as sacred 
and inspired bear testimony concerning  
these facts1  but the history written by
 man1 and1 in contrast1 called profane1 
is  generally in harmony with the       
biblical account4 ,even those who reject
  the doctrine of ,christ's divinity1   
even they who refuse to accept ,him  as 
their ,redeemer1 admit the historical   
facts of ,his marvelous life1  and      
acknowledge the incalculable effect of  
,his precepts and example  upon the     
human family4    #b4 ,in the ,meridian  
of ,time ,christ was born to earth1 amid

 humble  surroundings1--in obscurity1   
indeed1 to all except the faithful few  
who had been watching for the expected  
advent4 ,his coming had been  heralded  
through the previous centuries1 even    
from the dawn of human  existence2 every
 prophet of ,god had borne record of the
 great events  which were to            
characterize ,his advent4 ,every        
important incident  connected with ,his 
birth1 life1 death1 triumphal           
resurrection1 and  ultimate glory as    
,king1 ,lord1 and ,god1 had been        
predicted2 and even  the details of the 
circumstances were given with exactness4
 ,judah and  ,israel had been told to   
prepare for the coming of the ,anointed 
,one2#ajff yet1 behold1 when ,he came to
 ,his own they received ,him  not4      
,persecuted and despised1 ,he trod the  
thorny path of duty1 a1 man  of sorrows 
and acquainted with grief2 and1 finally 
condemned by ,his  people1 who clamored 
to an alien power for authority to      
execute their  own diabolical sentence  

upon their ,lord1 ,he went to the death 
prescribed for malefactors4      #ajff  
,see ,note #a4    #c4 ,to human         
judgment1 it surely seemed that the     
,divine mission of  ,christ had been    
nullified1 that ,his work had failed1   
and that the  powers of darkness had    
become triumphant4 ,blind1 deaf1 and    
hard of  heart were those who refused to
 see1 hear1 and comprehend the purport  
of the ,savior's mission4 ,similarly    
benighted are they who reject the       
prophetic evidence of ,his second       
coming1 and who fail to read the  signs 
of the times1 which declare the event1  
at once so terrible and  glorious1 to be
 near at hand4 ,both before and after   
,his death1 ,christ  prophesied of ,his 
appointed reappearance upon the earth2  
and ,his  faithful followers are to-day 
waiting and watching for the signs of   
the great fulfillment4 ,the heavens are 
flaming with those signals1 and  the    
burden of inspired teaching is again    
heard1--,repent1 repent1 for  the       

kingdom of heaven is at hand4    #d4    
,christ's ,second ,coming ,predicted2   
and ,signs ,described4 ,bible           
,prophecies4--,the prophets of the ,old 
,testament1 and those of ,book of       
,mormon record who lived and wrote      
before the era of ,christ1 had little   
to say regarding the second coming of   
the ,lord1 little indeed in  comparison 
with their numerous and explicit        
predictions concerning ,his  first      
advent4 ,as they looked into the sky of 
futurity1 and with  prophetic power read
 the story of the heavenly orbs1 their  
vision was  dazzled with the brilliancy 
of the ,meridian ,sun1 and they saw     
little  of the glorious luminary beyond1
 whose proportions and radiance were    
veiled by the mists of distance4 ,a few 
of them saw and so testified1  as the   
following passages show3 ,the ,psalmist 
sang3--,our ,god shall  come1 and shall 
not keep silence2 a fire shall devour   
before him1 and  it shall be very       
tempestuous round about him4#ajfg ,these

 devouring  and tempestuous conditions  
did not attend the coming of            
,bethlehem's  ,babe4      #ajfg ,psalms 
l1 #c4    #e4 ,isaiah cries3--,say to   
them that are of a fearful heart1 ,be   
strong1 fear not2 behold your ,god will 
come with vengeance1 even ,god  with a  
recompense2 he will come and save       
you4#ajfh ,aside from the  evident fact 
that these conditions did not attend the
 first coming of  ,christ1 the context  
of the prophet's words shows that he    
applied them  to the last days1 the time
 of restitution1 the day of the ransomed
 of  the ,lord1 and of the triumph of   
,zion4#ajfi ,again ,isaiah              
speaks3--,behold1 the ,lord ,god will   
come with strong hand1 and his arm      
shall rule for him3 behold1 his reward  
is with him1 and his work  before       
him4#ajgj      #ajfh ,isa4 xxxv1 #d4    
#ajfi ,verses #e-aj4      #ajgj ,isa4   
xl1 #aj4    #f4 ,the prophet ,enoch1 who
 lived twenty centuries before the first
 of  those whose words are given above1 

spoke with vigor on the subject4  ,his  
teachings do not appear under his own   
name in the ,bible1 though  ,jude1 a    
,new ,testament writer1 cites them4#ajga
 ,from the ,book of ,moses  in the      
,pearl of ,great ,price1 we learn       
concerning the revelation given  to     
,enoch3--,and the ,lord said unto       
,enoch1 ,as ,i live1 even so will ,i    
come in the last days1 in the days of   
wickedness and vengeance1 to  fulfil the
 oath which ,i have made unto you       
concerning the children of  ,noah4#ajgb 
#ajga ,jude #ad-ae4      #ajgb ,pearl of
 ,great ,price3 ,moses vii1 #fj4    #g4 
,jesus taught the disciples that ,his   
mission in the flesh was to be  of short
 duration1 and that he would come again 
to earth1 for we find  them enquiring in
 this wise1 ,tell us when shall these   
things be8 ,and  what shall be the sign 
of thy coming1 and of the end of the    
world8#ajgc ,in reply1 our ,lord        
detailed many of the signs of the       
latter times1 the last and greatest of  

which ,he thus stated3--,and  this      
gospel of the kingdom shall be preached 
in all the world for a  witness unto all
 nations2 and then shall the end        
come4#ajgd ,with  great clearness1      
,jesus spoke of the worldliness in which
 the children  of men had continued to  
indulge1 even on the eve of the ,deluge1
 and on  the day of the fiery           
destruction which befell the ,cities of 
the  ,plains1 and added3--,even thus    
shall it be in the day when the ,son of 
man is revealed4#ajge      #ajgc ,matt4 
xxiv1 #c4 ,see ,jesus the ,christ1 ch4  
xxxii4      #ajgd ,verse #ad4      #ajge
 ,luke xvii1 #bf-cj4    #h4 ,another of 
our ,lord's predictions concerning ,his 
second coming is  as follows2 ,his      
citation of the signs by which the      
approach of the  event may be known is  
so impressive that we should read the   
description in its entirety3--,and they 
the disciples asked him1  saying1       
,master1 but when shall these things be8
 and what sign will  there be when these

 things shall come to pass8 ,and he     
said1 ,take heed  that ye be not        
deceived3 for many shall come in my     
name1 saying1 ,i am  ,christ2 and the   
time draweth near3 go ye not therefore  
after them4 ,but  when ye shall hear of 
wars and commotions1 be not terrified3  
for these  things must first come to    
pass2 but the end is not by and by4     
,then  said he unto them1 ,nation shall 
rise against nation1 and kingdom        
against kingdom3 and great earthquakes  
shall be in divers places1 and  famines1
 and pestilences2 and fearful sights and
 great signs shall  there be from       
heaven4 ,but before all these1 they     
shall lay their hands  on you1 and      
persecute you1 delivering you up to the 
synagogues1 and  into prisons1 being    
brought before kings and rulers for my  
name's  sake4 ,and it shall turn to you 
for a testimony4 ,settle it therefore in
  your hearts1 not to meditate before   
what ye shall answer3 ,for ,i will  give
 you a mouth and wisdom1 which all your 

adversaries shall not be  able to       
gainsay nor resist4 ,and ye shall be    
betrayed both by parents1  and brethren1
 and kinsfolks1 and friends2 and some of
 you shall they  cause to be put to     
death4 ,and ye shall be hated of all men
 for my  name's sake4444 ,and there     
shall be signs in the sun1 and in the   
moon1  and in the stars2 and upon the   
earth distress of nations1 with         
perplexity2 the sea and the waves       
roaring2 men's hearts failing them  for 
fear1 and for looking after those things
 which are coming on the  earth3 for the
 powers of heaven shall be shaken4 ,and 
then shall they  see the ,son of man    
coming in a cloud with power and great  
glory4 ,and  when these things begin to 
come to pass1 then look up1 and lift up 
your heads2 for your redemption draweth 
nigh4#ajgf      #ajgf ,luke xxi1 #g-bh2 
see also ,mark xiii1 #ad-bf2 ,rev4 vi1  
#ab-ag4    #i4 ,again1 by way of        
warning1 the ,lord said3--,whosoever    
therefore  shall be ashamed of me and of

 my words1 in this adulterous and sinful
  generation1 of him also shall the ,son
 of man be ashamed1 when he  cometh in  
the glory of his ,father with the holy  
angels4#ajgg      #ajgg ,mark viii1 #ch4
    #aj4 ,at the time of the ,ascension1
 as the apostles stood gazing into  the 
firmament1 where a cloud had hidden     
their resurrected ,lord from  sight1    
they became aware of the presence of two
 heavenly visitors1 who  said3--,ye men 
of ,galilee1 why stand ye gazing up into
 heaven8 this  same ,jesus1 which is    
taken up from you into heaven1 shall so 
come in  like manner as ye have seen him
 go into heaven4#ajgh ,paul instructed  
the churches in the doctrines of        
,christ's second advent1 and described  
the glory of ,his coming4#ajgi ,so also 
did others of the  apostles4#ajhj       
#ajgh ,acts i1 #aa4 ,see ,jesus the     
,christ1 p4 #fie4      #ajgi ,i ,thess4 
iv1 #af2 ,,ii ,thess4 i1 #g-h2 ,heb4 ix1
 #bh4      #ajhj ,i ,peter iv1 #ac2 ,i  
,john ii1 #bh2 iii1 #b4    #aa4 ,among  

,book of ,mormon ,prophecies concerning 
our present subject1  we find the       
teachings of ,christ ,himself at the    
time of ,his  ministrations to the      
,nephites in ,his resurrected state4 ,to
 the  multitude ,he explained many      
matters1 even from the beginning until  
the time that ,he should come in his    
glory4#ajha ,in promising the  three    
disciples the desire of their hearts1   
which was that they might  be spared in 
the flesh to continue the work of the   
ministry1 the ,lord  said to them3--,ye 
shall live to behold all the doings of  
the ,father1  unto the children of men1 
even until all things shall be          
fulfilled1  according to the will of the
 ,father1 when ,i shall come in my      
glory1  with the powers of heaven4#ajhb 
#ajha ,,iii ,nephi xxvi1 #c2 see also   
xxv1 #e4      #ajhb ,,iii ,nephi xxviii1
 #g2 see also #h4 ,see ,jesus the       
,christ1    ch4 xxxix4    #ab4 ,the     
,word of ,modern ,revelation is no less 
sure regarding the  appointed advent of 

the ,redeemer4 ,to servants1 specially  
commissioned1  instructions were given  
to this effect3--,wherefore1 be         
faithful1  praying always1 having your  
lamps trimmed and burning1 and oil with 
you1#ajhc that you may be ready at the  
coming of the ,bridegroom4 ,for  behold1
 verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you that ,i
 come quickly4#ajhd ,and  again1 this   
instruction is given3--,cry repentance  
unto a crooked and  perverse generation1
 preparing the way of the ,lord for his 
second  coming2 for behold1 verily1     
verily1 ,i say unto you1 the time is    
soon  at hand that ,i shall come in a   
cloud with power and great  glory4#ajhe 
#ajhc ,an allusion to the parable of the
 ,ten ,virgins2 see ,matt4    xxv1      
#a-ac4      #ajhd ,doc4 and ,cov4       
xxxiii1 #ag4      #ajhe ,doc4 and ,cov4 
xxxiv1 #f-g4    #ac4 ,in a revelation to
 the people of the ,church1 ,march #g1  
#ahca1 the  ,lord speaks of the signs of
 ,his coming1 and counsels diligence4   
,consider ,his words3--,ye look and     

behold the fig-trees1 and ye see  them  
with your eyes1 and ye say when they    
begin to shoot forth1 and  their leaves 
are yet tender1 that summer is now nigh 
at hand2 even so  it shall be in that   
day when they shall see all these       
things1 then  shall they know that the  
hour is nigh4 ,and it shall come to pass
 that  he that feareth me shall be      
looking forth for the great day of the  
,lord to come1 even for the signs of the
 coming of the ,son of man2 and  they   
shall see signs and wonders1 for they   
shall be shown forth in the  heavens    
above1 and in the earth beneath2 and    
they shall behold blood  and fire1 and  
vapors of smoke2 and before the day of  
the ,lord shall  come1 the sun shall be 
darkened1 and the moon be turned into   
blood1  and stars fall from heaven2 and 
the remnant shall be gathered unto  this
 place1 and then they shall look for me1
 and behold ,i will come2  and they     
shall see me in the clouds of heaven1   
clothed with power and  great glory1    

with all the holy angels2 and he that   
watches not for me  shall be cut        
off4#ajhf      #ajhf ,doc4 and ,cov4    
xiv1 #cg-dd2 see also paragraphs #gd-ge4
    #ad4 ,the distinctive characteristic
 of the revelations as given in  the    
present dispensation1 regarding the     
second coming of our ,lord1 is  the     
emphatic and oft-repeated declaration   
that the event is near at  hand4#ajhg   
,the call is1 ,prepare ye1 prepare ye1  
for that which is to  come1 for the     
,lord is nigh4 ,instead of the cry of   
one man in the  wilderness of ,judea1   
the voice of thousands is heard         
authoritatively  warning the nations1   
and inviting them to repent and flee to 
,zion for  safety4 ,the fig tree is     
rapidly putting forth its leaves2 the   
signs in  heaven and earth are          
increasing2 surely the great and        
dreadful day of  the ,lord is near4     
#ajhg ,see the numerous references in   
connection with ,doc4 and    ,cov4 i1   
#ab4 ,see ,jesus the ,christ1 ch4 xlii4 

#ae4 ,the ,precise ,time of ,christ's   
,coming has not been made known to  man4
 ,by learning to comprehend the signs of
 the times1 by watching the  development
 of the work of ,god among the nations1 
and by noting the  rapid fulfillment of 
significant prophecies1 we may perceive 
the  progressive evidence of the        
approaching event1 ,but the hour and the
  day no man knoweth1 neither the angels
 in heaven1 nor shall they know  until  
he comes4#ajhh ,his coming will be a    
surprise to those who have  rejected    
,his warnings1 and who have failed to   
watch4 ,like a thief in  the night#ajhi 
will be the coming of the day of the    
,lord unto the  wicked4 ,watch          
therefore1 for ye know neither the day  
nor the hour  wherein the ,son of man   
cometh4#ajij      #ajhh ,doc4 and ,cov4 
xlix1 #g4      #ajhi ,,ii ,peter iii1   
#aj2 ,i ,thess4 v1 #b1 etc4      #ajij  
,matt1 xxv1 #ac2 see also xxiv1 #db1    
#dd2 ,mark xiii1 #cc1 #ce2    ,luke xii1
 #dj4    #af4 ,christ's ,reign3 ,the    

,kingdom4--,we have seen that1 according
 to  the words of holy prophets ancient 
and modern1 ,christ is to come1 in a    
literal sense1 and so manifest ,himself 
in person in the last days4 ,he  is to  
dwell among ,his ,saints4 ,yea1 even ,i 
will be in the midst of  you1#ajia ,he  
declared to the people on this          
continent1 whom ,he  promised to        
establish in the land of the ,new       
,jerusalem2 and similar  assurances were
 given through the prophets of the      
east4#ajib ,in this  prospective        
ministration among ,his gathered        
,saints1 ,christ is to be at  once their
 ,god and their ,king4 ,his government  
is to be that of a  perfect theocracy2  
the laws of righteousness will be the   
code1 and  control will be administered 
under one authority1 undisputed because 
indisputable4      #ajia ,,iii ,nephi   
xx1 #bb2 see also xxi1 #be4      #ajib  
,ezek4 xxxvii1 #bf-bg2 ,zech4 ii1 #aj1  
#aa2 viii1 #c2 ,,ii ,cor4 vi1    #af4   
#ag4 ,the scriptures abound with        

declarations that the ,lord will yet    
reign among his people4 ,to this effect 
sang ,moses before the hosts of  ,israel
 after their miraculous passage through 
the ,red ,sea1--,the ,lord  shall reign 
for ever and ever2#ajic and the psalmist
 echoes the  refrain1 ,the ,lord is     
,king for ever and ever4#ajid ,jeremiah 
calls  ,him an everlasting king1 before 
whose wrath the earth shall tremble1    
and the nations yield2#ajie and         
,nebuchadnezzar1 humbled through        
tribulation1 rejoiced in honoring the   
,king of ,heaven1 whose dominion  is an 
everlasting dominion1 and his kingdom is
 from generation to  generation4#ajif   
#ajic ,exo4 xv1 #ah4      #ajid ,psa4 x1
 #af see also xxix1 #aj2 cxlv1 #ac2     
cxlvi1 #aj4      #ajie ,jer4 x1 #aj4    
#ajif ,dan4 iv1 #cd-cg4    #ah4 ,even   
chosen ,israel were not always willing  
to accept ,god as  their king4 ,remember
 how they protested that ,samuel1 the   
anointed  prophet and judge1 was old1--a
 poor excuse for their claim1 as the old

  man ministered with vigor among them  
for thirty-five years beyond that       
time1--and how they cried for a king to 
rule them1 that they might be  like     
other nations4#ajig ,note the pathetic  
words with which the ,lord  replied to  
,samuel's prayer regarding this demand  
of the people1 and  the sorrow with     
which ,he granted them their            
wish3--,hearken unto the  voice of the  
people in all that they say unto thee2  
for they have not  rejected thee1 but   
they have rejected me that ,i should not
 reign over  them4#ajih ,but the ,lord  
will not be ever rejected by ,his       
people2 at  the time appointed ,he will 
come with power and great glory1 and    
will  assume ,his rightful place of     
authority as ,king of earth4      #ajig 
,i ,sam4 viii1 #e4      #ajih ,verse #g2
 see also x1 #ai2 ,hosea xiii1 #aj-aa4  
#ai4 ,daniel interpreted the dream of   
,nebuchadnezzar1 and spoke of the  many 
kingdoms and divisions of kingdoms which
 were to be established1  then          

added3--,and in the days of these kings 
shall the ,god of heaven  set up a      
kingdom1 which shall never be destroyed3
 and the kingdom  shall not be left to  
other people1 but it shall break in     
pieces and  consume all these kingdoms1 
and it shall stand for ever4#ajii       
,touching the extent of the great       
kingdom to be established the same      
prophet declared3--,and the kingdom and 
dominion1 and the greatness of  the     
kingdom under the whole heaven1 shall be
 given to the people of  the saints of  
the ,most ,high1 whose kingdom is an    
everlasting kingdom1  and all dominions 
shall serve and obey him4#aajj          
#ajii ,dan4 ii1 #dd4      #aajj ,dan4   
vii1 #bg4    #bj4 ,speaking of the      
restoration of ,judah and ,israel in the
 last  days1 ,micah prophesies3--,and   
the ,lord shall reign over them in mount
  ,zion from henceforth1 even for       
ever4#aaja ,in the annunciation to the  
,virgin1 the angel said of the unborn   
,christ3--,he shall reign over the      

house of ,jacob forever1 and of his     
kingdom there shall be no  end4#aajb ,in
 the visions of ,patmos1 the ,apostle   
,john saw the  glorious consummation1   
and a universal recognition of the      
eternal  ,king3--,and the seventh angel 
sounded2 and there were great voices in 
heaven1 saying1 ,the kingdoms of this   
world are become the kingdoms of  our   
,lord1 and of his ,christ2 and he shall 
reign forever and  ever4#aajc ,modern   
revelation is rich in evidence of an    
approaching  reign of righteousness1    
with ,christ as ,king2 witness the      
following3--,and also the ,lord shall   
have power over his saints1 and  shall  
reign in their midst4#aajd ,for in my   
own due time will ,i come  upon the     
earth in judgment1 and my people shall  
be redeemed and shall  reign with me on 
earth4#aaje      #aaja ,micah iv1 #g2   
see also ,isa4 xxiv1 #bc4      #aajb    
,luke i1 #cc4      #aajc ,rev4 xi1 #ae4 
#aajd ,doc4 and ,cov4 i1 #cf4      #aaje
 ,doc4 and ,cov4 xliii1 #bi2 see also   

lxxxiv1 #aai4    #ba4 ,kingdom and      
,church4--,in the ,gospel according to  
,matthew1 the  phrase kingdom of heaven 
is of frequent occurrence2 while in the 
books of the other evangelists1 and     
throughout the epistles1 the  expression
 is kingdom of ,god1 kingdom of ,christ1
 or simply  kingdom4 ,it is evident that
 these expressions may be used          
interchangeably without violence to the 
true meaning4 ,however1 the  term       
kingdom is used in more senses than one1
 and a careful study of  the context in 
each instance may be necessary to a     
proper  comprehension of the writers    
intent4 ,the most common usages are     
two3--#a4 ,an expression synonymous with
 the ,church1 having reference  to the  
followers of ,christ without distinction
 as to their temporal or  spiritual     
organizations4 #b4 ,the designation of  
the literal kingdom  over which ,christ 
is to reign on earth in the last days4  
#bb4 ,when we contemplate the ,kingdom  
in the latter and more general  sense1  

the ,church must be regarded as a part  
thereof2 an essential  indeed1 for it is
 the germ from which the ,kingdom is to 
be developed1  and the very heart of the
 perfected organization4 ,the ,church   
has  existed and now continues in an    
organized form1 without the ,kingdom as 
a visibly established power with        
temporal authority in the world2 but    
the ,kingdom cannot be maintained       
without the ,church4    #bc4 ,in modern 
revelation1 the expressions kingdom of  
,god and  kingdom of heaven are         
sometimes used with distinctive         
meanings1--the  former phrase signifying
 the ,church1 and the latter the literal
  kingdom which is to supersede and     
comprise all existing national          
divisions4 ,in this sense1 the kingdom  
of ,god has been set up already  in     
these the last days2 its beginning in   
and for the present  dispensation was   
the establishment of the ,church on its 
latter-day and  permanent foundation4   
,this is consistent with our conception 

of the  ,church as the vital organ of   
the ,kingdom in general4 ,the powers and
  authority committed to the ,church are
 then the keys of the ,kingdom4  ,such  
meaning is made clear in the following  
revelation to the  ,church3--,the keys  
of the kingdom of ,god are committed    
unto man on the  earth1 and from thence 
shall the gospel roll forth unto the    
ends of  the earth1 as the stone which  
is cut out of the mountain without      
hands#aajf shall roll forth1 until it   
has filled the whole earth4444  ,call   
upon the ,lord1 that his kingdom may go 
forth upon the earth1 that  the         
inhabitants thereof may receive it1 and 
be prepared for the days  to come1 in   
the which the ,son of man shall come    
down in heaven1  clothed in the         
brightness of his glory1 to meet the    
kingdom of ,god  which is set up on the 
earth2 wherefore may the kingdom of ,god
 go  forth1 that the kingdom of heaven  
may come1 that thou1 ,o ,god1 mayest  be
 glorified in heaven1 so on earth1 that 

thy enemies may be subdued2  for thine  
is the honor1 power and glory for ever  
and ever4#aajg      #aajf ,allusion to  
,daniel's interpretation of the dream of
    ,nebuchadnezzar2 see ,dan4 ii1 #cd1 
#dd4      #aajg ,doc4 and ,cov4 lxv1 #b1
 #e-f4    #bd4 ,at the time of ,his     
glorious advent1 ,christ will be        
accompanied  by the hosts of righteous  
ones who have already passed from earth2
 and  the ,saints who are still alive on
 earth are to be quickened and caught   
up to meet ,him1 and to descend with    
,him as partakers of ,his  glory4#aajh  
,with ,him too will come ,enoch and his 
band of the pure in  heart2#aaji and a  
union will be effected with the ,kingdom
 of ,god1 or  that part of the ,kingdom 
of ,heaven previously established as the
  ,church of ,christ on earth2 and the  
,kingdom on earth will be one with  that
 in heaven4 ,then will be realized a    
complete fulfillment of the  ,lord's own
 prayer1 given as a pattern to all who  
pray3--,thy kingdom  come1 thy will be  

done in earth1 as it is in heaven4#aaaj 
#aajh ,doc4 and ,cov4 lxxxviii1 #ia-ih4 
#aaji ,see pp4 #ceh1 #cfb-cfc4          
#aaaj ,matt4 vi1 #aj2 ,luke xi1 #b4     
#be4 ,the disputed question1 ,is the    
,kingdom already set up on earth  or are
 we to wait for its establishment until 
the time of the future  advent of       
,christ1 the ,king8 may properly receive
 answer either  affirmative or negative1
 according to the sense in which the    
term  kingdom is understood4 ,the       
,kingdom of ,god as identical with the  
,church  of ,christ has assuredly been  
established2 its history is that of the 
,church in these the last days2 its     
officers are divinely commissioned1     
their power is that of the holy         
priesthood4 ,they claim an authority    
which is spiritual1 but also temporal in
 dealing with the members of  the       
organization1--,church or ,kingdom as   
you may choose to call  it1--but they   
make no attempt1 nor do they assert the 
right1 to  modify1 assail1 or in any way

 interfere with1 existing governments2  
far less to subdue nations or to set up 
rival systems of control4 ,the  ,kingdom
 of ,heaven1 including the ,church1 and 
comprising all nations1  will be set up 
with power and great glory when the     
triumphant ,king  comes with ,his       
heavenly retinue to personally rule and 
reign on the  earth which ,he has       
redeemed at the sacrifice of ,his own   
life4    #bf4 ,as seen1 the ,kingdom of 
,heaven will comprise more than the     
,church4 ,the honorable and honest among
 men will be accorded protection  and   
the privileges of citizenship under the 
perfect system of  government which     
,christ will administer2 and this will  
be their happy  lot whether they are    
actually members of the ,church or not4 
,law-breakers and men of impure heart   
will meet the judgment of  destruction  
according to their sin2 but those who   
live according to  the truth as they    
have been able to receive and comprehend
 it1 will  enjoy the fullest liberty    

under the benign influences of a perfect
  administration4 ,the special          
privileges and blessings associated with
  the ,church1 the right to hold and    
exercise the priesthood with its        
boundless possibilities and eternal     
powers1 will be1 as now they are1  for  
those only who enter into the covenant  
and become part of the  ,church of the  
,redeemer4    #bg4 ,the                 
,millennium4--,in connection with       
scriptural mention of  ,christ's reign  
on earth1 a duration of a thousand years
 is frequently  specified4 ,while we    
cannot regard this as indicating a time 
limit to  the ,kingdom's existence1 or a
 measure of the ,savior's administration
  of power1 we are justified in the     
belief that the thousand years          
immediately following the establishment 
of the ,kingdom are to be  specially    
characterized1 so as to be different    
from both preceding and  succeeding     
time4 ,the gathering of ,israel and the 
establishment of an  earthly ,zion are  

to be effected1 preparatory to ,his     
coming4 ,his advent  is to be marked by 
a destruction of the wicked1 and by the 
inauguration of an era of peace4 ,the   
,revelator saw the souls of the         
martyrs1 and of other righteous men1 in 
power1 living and reigning  with ,christ
 a thousand years4#aaaa ,at the         
beginning of this period  ,satan is to  
be bound1 that he should deceive the    
nations no more  until the thousand     
years should be fulfilled4#aaab ,certain
 of the  dead are not to live again     
until the thousand years are            
passed2#aaac  while the righteous shall 
be priests of ,god and of ,christ1 and  
shall  reign with him a thousand        
years4#aaad ,among the most ancient of  
revelations regarding the ,millennium is
 that given to ,enoch3--,and it  came to
 pass that ,enoch saw the day of the    
coming of the ,son of ,man1  in the last
 days1 to dwell on the earth in         
righteousness for the space  of a       
thousand years4#aaae      #aaaa ,rev4   

xx1 #d2 see also #f4      #aaab ,rev4   
xx1 #b-c4      #aaac ,verse #e4         
#aaad ,verse #f4      #aaae ,pearl of   
,great ,price3 ,moses vii1 #fe4    #bh4 
,it is evident1 then1 that in speaking  
of the ,millennium we have  to consider 
a definite period1 with important events
 marking its  beginning and its close1  
and conditions of unusual blessedness   
extending throughout4 ,it will be a     
sabbatical era1#aaaf--;a thousand  years
 of peace4 ,enmity between man and beast
 shall cease2 the  fierceness and venom 
of the brute creation shall be done     
away1#aaag  and love shall rule4#aaah ,a
 new condition of affairs will prevail1 
as was declared in the word of the ,lord
 to ,isaiah3--,for behold1 ,i  create   
new heavens and a new earth2 and the    
former shall not be  remembered nor come
 into mind4#aaai      #aaaf ,see ,note  
#b4      #aaag ,isa4 xi1 #f-i2 lxv1 #be4
      #aaah ,see ,notes #c and #d4      
#aaai ,isa4 lxv1 #ag4    #bi4           
,concerning the state of peace1         

prosperity1 and duration of human  life1
 characteristic of that period1 we      
read3--,there shall be no more  thence  
an infant of days1 nor an old man that  
hath not filled his  days3 for the child
 shall die an hundred years old2 but the
 sinner  being an hundred years old     
shall be accursed4 ,and they shall build
  houses1 and inhabit them2 and they    
shall plant vineyards1 and eat the      
fruit of them4 ,they shall not build1   
and another inhabit2 they shall  not    
plant1 and another eat3 for as the days 
of a tree are the days of  my people1   
and mine elect shall long enjoy the work
 of their hands4  ,they shall not labor 
in vain1 nor bring forth for trouble2   
for they  are the seed of the blessed of
 the ,lord1 and their offspring with    
them4 ,and it shall come to pass1 that  
before they call1 ,i will answer3  and  
while they are yet speaking1 ,i will    
hear4 ,the wolf and the lamb  shall feed
 together1 and the lion shall eat straw 
like the bullock3  and dust shall be the

 serpent's meat4 ,they shall not hurt   
nor destroy  in all my holy mountain1   
saith the ,lord4#aabj      #aabj ,verses
 #bj-bc4    #cj4 ,the ,lord's voice is  
heard to-day declaring the same         
prophetic  truths1 as is shown in the   
revelations touching the ,millennium    
given  in the present dispensation of   
the ,church4#aaba ,in #ahca1 the ,lord  
addressed the elders of ,his ,church1   
and said3--,for the great  ,millennium1 
of which ,i have spoken by the mouth of 
my servants1 shall  come2 for ,satan    
shall be bound1 and when he is loosed   
again1 he shall  only reign for a little
 season1 and then cometh the end of the 
earth4#aabb ,on another occasion these  
words were spoken3--,for ,i  will reveal
 myself from heaven with power and great
 glory1 with all  the hosts thereof1 and
 dwell in righteousness with men on     
earth a  thousand years1 and the wicked 
shall not stand4444 ,and again1 verily1 
verity1 ,i say unto you1 that when the  
thousand years are ended1 and  men again

 begin to deny their ,god1 then will ,i 
spare the earth but for  a little       
season1 and the end shall come4#aabc    
#aaba ,doc4 and ,cov4 lxiii1 #di-ea4    
#aabb ,doc4 and ,cov4 xliii1 #cj-ca4    
#aabc ,doc4 and ,cov4 xxix1 #aa1 #bb-bc4
    #ca4 ,the ,millennium then is to    
precede the events usually indicated  by
 the scriptural phrase1 the end of the  
world4 ,during that period1  all        
conditions will be propitious for       
righteousness2 ,satan's power  will be  
suspended2 and men1 relieved to some    
extent from temptation1  will be zealous
 in the service of their reigning ,lord4
 ,nevertheless1  sin will not be wholly 
abolished1 nor will death be banished2  
though  children will live to reach     
maturity in the flesh1 and then may be  
changed to a condition of immortality in
 the twinkling of an  eye4#aabd ,both   
mortal and immortal beings will tenant  
the earth1 and  communion with the      
heavenly powers will be common4 ,the    
,latter-day  ,saints believe that during

 that millennial era they will be       
privileged  to continue the vicarious   
work for the dead1 which constitutes so 
important and so characteristic a       
feature of their duty1#aabe and  that   
the facilities for direct communication 
with the heavens will  enable them to   
carry on their labor of love without    
hindrance4 ,when  the thousand years are
 passed1 ,satan will again assert his   
power1 and  those who are not then      
numbered among the pure in heart will   
yield to  his influence4 ,but the       
liberty thus recovered by the prince of 
the  power of the air#aabf will be of   
short duration2 his final doom will     
speedily follow1 and with him will go to
 the punishment that is  everlasting1   
all who are his4 ,then the earth will   
pass to its  celestial condition1 and   
become a fit abode for the glorified    
sons and  daughters of our ,god4        
#aabd ,doc4 and ,cov4 lxiii1 #ej-ea4    
#aabe ,see pp4 #adh-aei4      #aabf     
,eph4 ii1 #b4      ,,notes4         #a4 

,the ,anointed ,one4--,christ1 the      
official name of the       ,redeemer of 
mankind1 as ,jesus1 or in the ,hebrew1  
,joshua1       ',savior1' was ,his      
natural name4 ,christ means 'anointed1' 
from       chrio1 'to anoint4' ,under   
the ,old ,testament dispensation1 high  
priests1 kings1 and prophets were       
appointed to their office by       the  
pouring of the sacred oil upon their    
heads4 ,the rite was       performed by 
the recognized officer of ,jehovah1 and 
was an       outward testimony that     
their appointment proceeded direct from 
,god himself1 as the source of all      
authority1 and as being under       the 
ancient covenant1 in a peculiar way1 the
 governor of his       people4 ,the oil 
used in the consecration of priests1 and
 the       anointing of the tabernacle  
and sacred vessels1 was a special       
preparation of myrrh1 cinnamon1 calamus1
 and cassia 7,exo4 xxx1       #bc-be71  
which the ,jews were forbidden to apply 
to the body1 or to       copy under pain

 of death4 ,it was no doubt intended to 
typify the       gifts and graces of the
 ,holy ,spirit4--,cassell's ,bible      
,dictionary1 p4 #beg4         #b4 ,the  
,seventh ,thousand ,years4--,as each    
seventh year was       ,israel's year of
 remission1 so of the world's seven     
thousands1       the seventh shall be   
its sabbatism4--,fausset's ,bible       
,cyclopedia1 p4 #fhe4 ,there remaineth  
therefore a rest to the       people of 
,god2 or1 as given by marginal          
reference1 instead of       rest1 the   
keeping of a sabbath4--,heb4 iv1 #i4    
#c4 ,millennial ,peace4--,the wolf also 
shall dwell with the lamb1       and the
 leopard shall lie down with the kid2   
and the calf and the       young lion   
and the fatling together2 and a little  
child shall       lead them4 ,and the   
cow and the bear shall feed2 their young
 ones       shall lie down together3 and
 the lion shall eat straw like the      
ox4 ,and the sucking child shall play on
 the hole of the asp1 and       the     

weaned child shall put his hand on the  
cockatrice' den4 ,they       shall not  
hurt nor destroy in all my holy         
mountain3 for the earth       shall be  
full of the knowledge of the ,lord1 as  
the waters cover       the sea4--,isa4  
xi1 #f-i2 see also lxv1 #be4         #d4
 ,the ,earth before1 during1 and after  
the ,millennium4--,there       are three
 conditions of the earth spoken of in   
the inspired       writings1--the       
present1 in which everything pertaining 
to it must       go through a change    
which we call death2 the millennial     
condition1 in which it will be          
sanctified for the residence of         
purer intelligences1 some mortal and    
some immortal2 and the       celestial  
condition1 spoken of in the twenty-first
 and       twenty-second chapters of    
,revelation1 which will be one of       
immortality and eternal                 
life4--,compendium1 by ,elders ,f4 ,d4  
,richards and ,james ,a4 ,little1 p4    
#bjb4          ,,lecture ,,xxi4         

,,regeneration ,,and ,,resurrection4    
,article #aj4--,we believe 444 ,that the
 earth will be renewed and       receive
 its paradisiacal glory4      ,,renewal 
,,of ,,the ,,earth4    #a4 ,the ,earth  
,under the ,curse4--,the blessed        
conditions1 under which  the earth shall
 exist and man shall live during the    
millennial era1  are almost beyond human
 powers of comprehension1 so different  
are they  from all to which history     
testifies and which experience confirms4
 ,a  reign of righteousness throughout  
the earth has never yet been known  to  
the fallen race of man4 ,so marked has  
been the universal curse1 so  great the 
power of the tempter2 so bitter the     
selfish and ungodly  strife betwixt man 
and man1 and between nation and nation2 
so general  has been the enmity of the  
animal creation1 among its own members1 
and  toward the being who1 though in a  
degraded state1 yet holds the ,divine   
commission to the authority of dominion2
 so prolific has been the soil  in      

bringing forth thorns1 briers1 and      
noxious weeds1 that the  description of 
,eden is to us as the story of another  
world1 an orb of  a higher order of     
existence1 wholly unlike this dreary    
sphere4 ,yet1 we  learn that ,eden was  
truly a feature of our planet1 and that 
the earth  is destined to become a      
celestialized body1--fit for the abode  
of the  most exalted intelligences4 ,the
 millennium1 with all its splendor1 is  
but a more advanced stage of            
preparation1 by which the earth and its 
inhabitants will approach the           
fore-ordained perfection4    #b4        
,regeneration of the ,earth4--,the term 
regeneration 7translated  from the      
,greek palingenesia1 and signifying a   
new birth1 or1 more  literally1 one who 
is born again7 occurs twice#aabg in the 
,new  ,testament2 while other           
expressions of equivalent meaning are   
used in  many places4 ,however1 the     
terms are usually applied to the renewal
 of  the soul of man through the        

spiritual birth1 by which salvation is  
made obtainable2 though our ,lord's use 
of the term1 in the promise of  future  
glory which ,he confirmed upon the      
apostles1 has probable  reference to the
 rejuvenation of the earth1 its         
inhabitants and their  institutions1 in 
connection with the millennial era3--,i 
say unto you1  ,that ye which have      
followed me1 in the regeneration when   
the ,son of  man shall sit in the throne
 of his glory1 ye also shall sit upon   
twelve thrones1 judging the twelve      
tribes of ,israel4#aabh      #aabg      
,matt4 xix1 #bh2 ,titus iii1 #e4        
#aabh ,matt4 xix1 #bh4    #c4 ,a time of
 restitution is foretold4 ,consider the 
words of ,peter1  spoken to the people  
who had come together in ,solomon's     
porch1  marveling over the miraculous   
healing of the lame beggar at the gate  
,beautiful3--,repent ye therefore1 and  
be converted1 that your sins may  be    
blotted out1 when the times of          
refreshing shall come from the  presence

 of the ,lord2 and he shall send ,jesus 
,christ1 which before was  preached unto
 you3 whom the heavens must receive     
until the times of  restitution of all  
things1 which ,god hath spoken by the   
mouth of all  his holy prophets since   
the world began4#aabi      #aabi ,acts  
iii1 #ai4    #d4 ,that the change to a  
state more nearly approaching perfection
 is  to affect both nature and man is   
evident from the teachings of ,paul1  as
 recorded in his letter to the          
,romans3--,because the creature itself  
also shall be delivered from the bondage
 of corruption into the  glorious       
liberty of the children of ,god4 ,for we
 know that the whole  creation groaneth 
and travaileth in pain together until   
now4 ,and not  only they1 but ourselves 
also1 which have the first-fruits of the
  ,spirit1 even we ourselves groan      
within ourselves1 waiting for the       
adoption1 to wit1 the redemption of our 
body4#aacj      #aacj ,rom4 viii1       
#ba-bc4    #e4 ,this work of            

regeneration has already begun4 ,as a   
necessary  preliminary1 whereby the     
curse that would otherwise afflict the  
earth  might be averted1 ,elijah the    
prophet was to visit the earth1 bringing
  with him the keys and authority of a  
great work2 concerning which  event1    
while yet future1 the ,lord             
said3--,behold1 ,i will send you        
,elijah the prophet before the coming of
 the great and dreadful day of  the     
,lord3 ,and he shall turn the heart of  
the fathers to the children1  and the   
heart of the children to their fathers1 
lest ,i come and smite  the earth with a
 curse4#aaca      #aaca ,mal4 iv1 #e-f2 
see also ,,iii ,nephi xxv4    #f4 ,the  
,latter-day ,saints solemnly declare    
that this prophecy has had  a literal   
fulfillment1 in that on the third day of
 ,april1 ,a4,d4 #ahcf1  ,elijah visited 
the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith and ,oliver 
,cowdery1 in the  newly dedicated temple
 at ,kirtland1 ,ohio1 announced his     
mission as  that spoken of by the mouth 

of ,malachi1 declared that the day for  
the  fulfillment of the prediction had  
come1 and committed the keys of this    
work of the last dispensation to the    
,church1 that the labor of  restoration 
might be carried on2 and moreover1 as a 
sign that the  great and dreadful day of
 the ,lord is near1 even at the         
doors4#aacb  ,throughout the            
,millennium1 this process of            
regeneration will be  continued4        
,society shall be purified2 nations     
shall exist in peace2  wars shall cease2
 the ferocity of beasts shall be        
subdued2 the earth1  escaping in a great
 measure the curse of the ,fall1 shall  
yield  bounteously to the husbandman2   
and the planet shall be redeemed4       
#aacb ,doc4 and ,cov4 cx1 #ad-af2 p4    
#aed1 this book4    #g4 ,the final      
stages of this regeneration of nature   
will not be  reached until the          
,millennium has run its blessed course4 
,describing  the events to take place   
after the completion of the thousand    

years1  ,john the ,revelator says3--,and
 ,i saw a new heaven and a new earth3   
for  the first heaven and the first     
earth were passed away2 and there was   
no more sea4444 ,and ,i heard a great   
voice out of heaven saying1  ,behold1   
the tabernacle of ,god is with men1 and 
he will dwell with  them1 and they shall
 be his people1 and ,god himself shall  
be with  them1 and be their ,god4 ,and  
,god shall wipe away all tears from     
their  eyes2 and there shall be no more 
death1 neither sorrow1 nor crying1      
neither shall there be any more pain3   
for the former things are passed        
away4#aacc ,a similar prediction was    
made by ,ether the ,jaredite1 six       
hundred years before ,christ was        
born3--,and there shall be a new        
heaven1 and a new earth3 and they shall 
be like unto the old1 save the  old have
 passed away1 and all things have become
 new4#aacd ,this  event is to follow the
 scenes of the ,millennium1 as the      
context makes  plain4      #aacc ,rev4  

xxi1 #a1 #c-d4      #aacd ,book of      
,mormon1 ,ether xiii1 #i4    #h4 ,in the
 year #ahcj of our present era1 the     
,lord said3--,when the  thousand years  
are ended1 and men again begin to deny  
their ,god1 then  will ,i spare the     
earth but for a little season2 and the  
end shall  come1 and the heaven and the 
earth shall be consumed and pass away1  
and there shall be a new heaven and a   
new earth1 for all old things  shall    
pass away1 and all things shall become  
new1 even the heaven and  the earth1 and
 all the fulness thereof1 both men and  
beasts1 the fowls  of the air and the   
fishes of the sea3 and not one hair1    
neither mote1  shall be lost1 for it is 
the workmanship of mine hand4#aace      
#aace ,doc4 and ,cov4 xxix1 #bb-be4     
#i4 ,according to the scriptures1 the   
earth has to undergo a change  analogous
 to death1 and to be regenerated in a   
manner comparable to a  resurrection4   
,references to the elements melting with
 heat1 and to the  earth being consumed 

and passing away1 such as occur in many 
scriptures already cited1 are suggestive
 of death2 and the new earth1  really   
the renewed or regenerated planet1 which
 is to result1 may be  compared with a  
resurrected organism4 ,the change has   
been likened unto  a                    
transfiguration4#aacf ,every created    
thing has been made for a  purpose2 and 
everything that fills the measure of its
 creation is to  be advanced in the     
scale of progression1 be it an atom or a
 world1 an  animalcule1 or man--the     
direct and literal offspring of ,deity4 
,in  speaking of the degrees of glory   
provided for ,his creations1 and of  the
 laws of regeneration and               
sanctification1 the ,lord1 in a         
revelation  dated #ahcb1 speaks plainly 
of the approaching death and subsequent 
quickening of the earth4 ,these are ,his
 words3--,and again1 verily1 ,i  say    
unto you1 the earth abideth the law of a
 celestial kingdom1 for it  filleth the 
measure of its creation1 and            

transgresseth not the law4  ,wherefore  
it shall be sanctified2 yea1            
notwithstanding it shall die1  it shall 
be quickened again1 and shall abide the 
power by which it is  quickened1 and the
 righteous shall inherit it4#aacg       
#aacf ,doc4 and ,cov4 lxiii1 #bj-ba4    
#aacg ,doc4 and ,cov4 lxxxviii1 #be-bf4 
#aj4 ,during the ,millennium1 the earth1
 while preparing for the final  change1 
will be tenanted by both mortal and     
immortal beings2 but after  the         
regeneration is complete1 death will no 
longer be known among its  inhabitants4 
,then the ,redeemer of earth shall      
deliver up the kingdom1  and present it 
unto the ,father spotless1 saying1 ,i   
have  overcome4#aach ,before victory is 
thus achieved and triumph won1 the      
enemies of righteousness must be        
subdued2 the last foe to be  vanquished 
is death4 ,thus saith ,paul the         
,apostle3--,then cometh the  end1 when  
he shall have delivered up the kingdom  
to ,god1 even the  ,father2 when he     

shall have put down all rule1 and all   
authority and  power4 ,for he must      
reign1 till he hath put all enemies     
under his feet4  ,the last enemy that   
shall be destroyed is death4 ,for he    
hath put all  things under his feet4    
,but when he saith1 ,all things are put 
under  him1 it is manifest that he is   
excepted1 which did put all things      
under him4 ,and when all things shall be
 subdued unto him1 then shall  the ,son 
also himself be subject unto him that   
put all things under  him1 that ,god may
 be all in all4#aaci      #aach ,doc4   
and ,cov4 lxxvi1 #ajg4      #aaci ,i    
,cor4 xv1 #bd-bf4    #aa4 ,the following
 partial description of the earth in its
  immortalized condition has been given 
by the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith in  this 
dispensation3--,this earth1 in its      
sanctified and immortal state1  will be 
made like unto crystal1 and will be a   
,urim and ,thummim#aadj  to the         
inhabitants who dwell thereon1 whereby  
all things pertaining to  an inferior   

kingdom1 or all kingdoms of a lower     
order1 will be  manifest to those who   
dwell on it2 and this earth will be     
,christ's4#aada      #aadj ,see page    
#bgc4      #aada ,doc4 and ,cov4 cxxx1  
#i4    #ab4 ,absence of ,evidence from  
,science4--,attempts have been made to  
demonstrate an agreement between the    
teachings of science concerning  the    
destiny of the earth1 and the scriptural
 predictions regarding the  ordained    
regeneration of our planet1 by which it 
is to be made fit for  the abode of     
immortal souls4 ,without considering the
 details of the  alleged evidence of    
mutual support between science and the  
revealed  word in this matter1 it may   
suffice to say that the so-called       
evidence is unsatisfactory1 and that    
science is practically silent on  the   
subject4 ,the geologist views the earth 
as a body in process of  continual      
change1 its surface a heterogeneous mass
 of fragmental  material2 he reads1 in  
the record inscribed on its stony pages1

 the  story of past development through 
many successive stages of progress1     
each making the globe more fit for      
habitation by man2 he witnesses the     
work of constructive and destructive    
agencies now in operation1 land  masses 
yielding to the lowering action of air  
and water1 and by their  destruction    
furnishing material for other formations
 now in process of  construction2--the  
general effect of all such being to     
level the  surface by degrading the     
hills and raising the valleys4 ,on the  
other  hand1 he observes volcanic       
agencies operating to increase the      
inequality of level by violent eruption 
and crustal elevation4 ,he  confesses   
inability1 from his observations of the 
present1 and his  deductions concerning 
the past of the earth1 to predict even a
  probable future4 ,so futile have been 
his efforts to ascertain the  origin or 
determine the destiny of the globe1 that
 he has generally  abandoned the        
attempt4 ,the epoch-making declaration  

of an acknowledged  leader in the       
science has now become                  
proverbial3--,geology furnishes  no     
traces of a beginning1 no prospect of an
 end4#aadb      #aadb ,james ,hutton4   
#ac4 ,the astronomer1 studying the      
varied conditions of other worlds1  may 
seek by analogy to learn of the probable
 fate of our own4 ,gazing  into space   
with greatly augmented vision1 he sees1 
within the system  to which the earth   
belongs1 spheres exhibiting a great     
range of  development1--some in their   
formative stage1 seemingly unfit for the
  abode of beings constituted as are we2
 others in a state more nearly          
resembling that of the earth3 and yet   
others seemingly old and  lifeless4 ,of 
the mighty systems beyond the           
comparatively small company  under      
control of our own sun1 he knows nothing
 but the existence of  these central    
orbs4 ,but1 nowhere has he discovered a 
celestialized  world4 ,think you that   
mortal eye could discern such even if it

 were  within the limits of vision as   
determined by distance alone8    #ad4   
,the poet has written3--        ,nor    
think though men were not1      ,that   
heaven would want spectators1      ,god 
want praise6      ,millions of spiritual
 beings      ,walk the earth            
,unseen both when we wake1      ,and    
when we sleep4    ,if this thought be   
founded on truth1 and the ,christian    
soul will  hardly doubt it1 we may as   
readily believe in the existence of     
other  worlds than those of structure so
 gross as to be visible to our dull     
eyes4 ,i repeat1 that in regard to the  
revealed word concerning the            
regeneration of earth1 and the          
acquirement of a celestial glory by our 
planet1 science has nothing to offer1   
either by way of support or             
contradiction4 ,let us not because of   
this1 disparage science1 or decry  the  
labors of its votaries4 ,no one realizes
 more fully than does the  truly        
scientific man how much we do not know4 

,,resurrection ,,of ,,the ,,body4       
#ae4 ,the ,resurrection from the        
,dead4--,closely associated with1 and   
analogous to1 the ordained rejuvenation 
of earth1 whereby our planet  is to pass
 from its present dreary and broken     
state to a condition of  glorified      
perfection1 is the resurrection of the  
bodies of all beings  who have had an   
existence upon its surface4 ,the ,church
 of ,jesus ,christ  of ,latter-day      
,saints teaches the doctrine of a       
literal resurrection2  an actual        
re-union of departed spirits and the    
tabernacles with which  they were       
clothed during mortal probation2 and a  
transition from  mortality to           
immortality in the case of some who will
 be in the flesh  at the time of the    
great change1 and who1 because of       
individual  righteousness1 are to be    
spared the sleep of the grave4 ,but in  
such  teachings1 the ,church is not     
essentially different from most         
,christian  sects1 except perhaps in the

 literalness of the bodily resurrection 
as  taught by it1 and in the belief     
concerning the nature of the            
resurrected state4 ,the ,bible is       
replete with evidence regarding the     
quickening of the dead4 ,human knowledge
 of the resurrection rests  wholly upon 
revelation4 ,pagan peoples have         
therefore no conception of  an actual   
coming forth of the dead unto life4#aadc
      #aadc ,see ,note #a4    #af4 ,in  
accepting the doctrine of a             
resurrection1 we are to be guided  by   
faith2 which1 however1 is supported by  
abundant revelation1 given  in a manner 
unequivocal and sure4 ,science1 the     
result of human  research1 fails to     
afford us any indication of such an     
event in the  history of living things1 
and men have sought in vain for an      
analogy  in external nature4 ,true1     
comparisons have been made1 metaphors   
have  been employed1 and similes pressed
 into service1 to show in nature  some  
counterpart or semblance of the         

immortalizing change to which the       
,christian soul looks forward with      
unwavering confidence2 but all such     
figures of speech are defective in the  
application1 and untrue in  their       
professed analogies4    #ag4 ,the return
 of spring after the death-like sleep of
 winter2 the  passing of the crawling   
caterpillar into the corpse-like        
chrysalis1  and the subsequent emergence
 of the winged butterfly2 the coming    
forth  of a living bird from the        
tomb-like recess of the egg2 these and  
other  natural processes of development 
have been used as illustrative of the   
resurrection4 ,each of them is          
defective1 for in no instance of such   
awakening has there been an actual      
death4 ,if the tree die1 it will not    
resume its leafage with the return of   
the sun2 if the pupa within the         
chrysalis1 or the life-germ within the  
egg be killed1 no butterfly or  bird    
will emerge4 ,when we indulge such      
figurative illustrations  without most  

thorough caution1 we are apt to conceive
 the thought that  the body predestined 
to resurrection is not truly dead2 and  
that  therefore the quickening which is 
to follow1 is not what the revealed     
word declares it to be4 ,observation    
proves that the separation of the       
spirit from the body leaves the latter  
an inanimate mass1 no longer  able to   
resist the processes of physical and    
chemical dissolution4 ,the  body1       
deserted by its immortal tenant1 is     
literally dead2 it resolves  itself into
 its natural components1 and its        
substance enters again  upon the round  
of universal circulation of matter4 ,yet
 the  resurrection from the dead is     
assured2 the faith of those who trust in
  the word of revealed truth will be    
vindicated1#aadd and the ,divine  decree
 will be carried into full effect4      
#aadd ,see ,note #b4    #ah4            
,predictions concerning the             
,resurrection4--,the prophets in the    
past dispensations of the world's       

history have foreseen and foretold  the 
final conquest of death4 ,some of them  
testified specifically of  ,christ's    
victory over the tomb2 others have dwelt
 upon the  resurrection in a general    
way4 ,job1 the man of patience under    
tribulation1 sang joyously even in his  
agony3--,for ,i know that my  ,redeemer 
liveth1 and that he shall stand at the  
latter day upon the  earth3 and though  
after my skin worms destroy this body1  
yet in my  flesh shall ,i see ,god4#aade
 ,enoch1 to whom the ,lord revealed ,his
  plan for the redemption of mankind1   
foresaw the resurrection of  ,christ1   
the coming forth of the righteous dead  
with ,him1 and the  eventual            
resurrection of all men4#aadf      #aade
 ,job4 xix1 #be-bf2 see also ,isa4 xxvi1
 #ai2 ,ezek4 xxxvii1    #aa-ad2 ,hos4   
xiii1 #ad4      #aadf ,pearl of ,great  
,price3 ,moses vii1 #ef-eg4    #ai4     
,nephi testified to his brethren that   
the ,redeemer's death was a             
fore-ordained necessity1 provided in    

order that resurrection from the  dead  
might be given to man4 ,these are his   
words3--,for as death hath  passed upon 
all men1 to fulfil the merciful plan of 
the great ,creator  there must needs be 
a power of resurrection1 and the        
resurrection must  needs come unto man  
by reason of the fall2 and the fall came
 by reason  of transgression2 and       
because man became fallen they were cut 
off from  the presence of the ,lord2 444
 ,and this death of which ,i have       
spoken1  which is the spiritual death1  
shall deliver up its dead2 which        
spiritual death is hell2 wherefore1     
death and hell must deliver up  their   
dead1 and hell must deliver up its      
captive spirits1 and the  grave must    
deliver up its captive bodies1 and the  
bodies and the  spirits of men will be  
restored one to the other2 and it is by 
the  power of the resurrection of the   
,holy ,one of ,israel4 ,o how great the 
plan of our ,god6 ,for on the other     
hand1 the paradise of ,god must  deliver

 up the spirits of the righteous1 and   
the grave deliver up the  body of the   
righteous2 and the spirit and the body  
is restored to  itself again1 and all   
men become incorruptible1 and immortal1 
and they  are living souls1 having a    
perfect knowledge like unto us in the   
flesh2 save it be that our knowledge    
shall be perfect4#aadg      #aadg ,,ii  
,nephi ix1 #f1 #ab-ac4    #bj4 ,samuel1 
the ,lamanite prophet1 predicted the    
,savior's birth1  ministry1 death1 and  
resurrection1 and explained the         
resulting  resurrection of              
mankind3--,for behold1 he surely must   
die1 that  salvation may come2 yea1 it  
behoveth him1 and becometh expedient    
that  he dieth1 to bring to pass the    
resurrection of the dead1 that thereby  
men may be brought into the presence of 
the ,lord2 ,yea1 behold this  death     
bringeth to pass the resurrection1 and  
redeemeth all mankind  from the first   
death--that spiritual death2 for all    
mankind1 by the  fall of ,adam1 being   

cut off from the presence of the ,lord1 
are  considered as dead1 both as to     
things temporal and to things           
spiritual4 ,but1 behold1 the            
resurrection of ,christ redeemeth       
mankind1  yea1 even all mankind1 and    
bringeth them back into the presence of 
the  ,lord4#aadh      #aadh ,helaman    
xiv1 #ae-ag2 see also ,mosiah xv1       
#bj-bd2 and ,alma xl1    #b1 #af4       
#ba4 ,the ,new ,testament furnishes     
abundant evidence that the doctrine  of 
the resurrection was very generally     
understood during the time of  ,christ's
 earthly mission1 and in the succeeding 
apostolic era4#aadi  ,the ,master       
,himself proclaimed these teachings4 ,in
 reply to the  hypercritical            
,sadducees1#aaej ,he said3--,but as     
touching the  resurrection of the dead1 
have ye not read that which was spoken  
unto  you by ,god1 saying1 ,i am the    
,god of ,abraham1 and the ,god of       
,isaac1 and  the ,god of ,jacob8 ,god is
 not the ,god of the dead1 but of the   

living4#aaea the ,jews who sought ,his  
life because of ,his deeds and  doctrine
 ,he spoke in this way3--,verily1       
verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,he  that      
heareth my word1 and believeth on him   
that sent me1 hath  everlasting life1   
and shall not come into condemnation2   
but is passed  from death unto life4    
,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,the  
hour is  coming1 and now is1 when the   
dead shall hear the voice of the ,son of
  ,god3 and they that hear shall        
live4#aaeb      #aadi ,matt4 xiv1 #a-b2 
,john xi1 #bd4      #aaej ,see ,note #c4
      #aaea ,matt4 xxii1 #ca-cb2 see    
also ,luke xiv1 #ad4      #aaeb ,john v1
 #bd-be2 see also verse #ba1 and xi1    
#bc-be4    #bb4 ,that ,christ fully     
comprehended the purpose of ,his        
approaching  martyrdom1 and the         
resurrection which was to follow1 is    
abundantly  proved by ,his own          
utterances while yet in the flesh4 ,to  
,nicodemus ,he  said3--,and as ,moses   
lifted up the serpent in the wilderness1

 even so  must the ,son of man be lifted
 up3 ,that whosoever believeth in him   
should not perish1 but have eternal     
life4#aaec ,and to ,martha1 who  was    
bewailing the death of her brother      
,lazarus1 he declared3 ,i am  the       
resurrection1 and the life3 he that     
believeth in me1 though he  were dead1  
yet shall he live4#aaed ,of ,his own    
resurrection ,he  prophesied freely2    
specifying the time during which ,his   
body would be  entombed4#aaee      #aaec
 ,john iii1 #ad-ae4      #aaed ,john xi1
 #be4      #aaee ,matt4 xii1 #dj2 xvi1  
#ba2 xvii1 #bc2 xx1 #ai4    #bc4 ,two   
,general ,resurrections are mentioned in
 the scriptures3 these  may be specified
 as first and final1 or as the          
resurrection of the  just and the       
resurrection of the unjust4 ,the first  
was inaugurated by  the resurrection of 
,jesus ,christ2 immediately following   
which1 many of  the departed ,saints    
came forth from their graves2 a         
continuation of  this1 the resurrection 

of the just1 has been in operation1#aaef
 and  will be brought to pass in a      
general way in connection with the      
coming  of ,christ in ,his glory1 and   
will be incident therefore to the       
beginning of the ,millennium4 ,the final
 resurrection will be deferred  until   
the end of the thousand years of peace1 
and will be in  connection with the last
 judgment4      #aaef ,note the fact    
that ,moroni1 the last of the ,nephite  
prophets1 who died in the first quarter 
of the fifth century ,a4,d41    appeared
 as a resurrected being to ,joseph      
,smith in #ahbc 7see pp4    #aj-ab74    
#bd4 ,the ,first                        
,resurrection4--,christ's ,resurrection1
 and that  immediately following4--,the 
facts of ,christ's resurrection from the
  dead are attested by such an array of 
scriptural proofs that no doubt  of the 
reality finds place in the mind of any  
believer in the inspired  records4 ,to  
the women who came early to the         
sepulchre1 the angel1 who  had rolled   

the stone from the door of the tomb1    
spoke1 saying3--,he is  not here1 for he
 is risen1 as he said4#aaeg ,afterward  
the  resurrected ,lord showed ,himself  
to many#aaeh during the forty days'     
interval between ,his resurrection and  
ascension4#aaei ,subsequent to  the     
ascension ,he manifested ,himself to the
 ,nephites on the western  hemisphere1  
as already noted in another             
connection4#aafj ,the  apostles1 as we  
shall see1 ceased not to testify of the 
genuineness of  their ,lord's           
resurrection1 nor did they fail to      
proclaim the  resurrections of the      
future4      #aaeg ,matt4 xxviii1 #f4   
,see ,jesus the ,christ4 ch4 xxxvii4    
#aaeh ,matt4 xxviii1 #i1 #af2 ,mark xvi1
 #ad2 ,luke xxiv1 #ac-ca1 #cd2    ,john 
xx1 #ad-ag1 #ai1 #bf2 xxi1 #a-d2 ,i     
,cor4 xv1 #e-h4      #aaei ,luke xxiv1  
#di-ea2 ,acts i1 #a-aa4      #aafj ,see 
page #cg4    #be4 ,christ1 the          
first-fruits of them that slept1#aafa   
was the  first among men to come forth  

from the grave in an immortalized body2 
but we read that1 soon after ,his       
resurrection1 many of the ,saints were  
brought from their tombs3--,and the     
graves were opened2 and many  bodies of 
the saints which slept arose1 and came  
out of the graves  after his            
resurrection1 and went into the holy    
city1 and appeared unto  many4#aafb     
#aafa ,i ,cor4 xv1 #bj1 #bc2 see also   
,acts xxvi1 #bc2 ,col4 i1 #ah2 ,rev4    
i1 #e4      #aafb ,matt4 xxvii1 #eb-ec4 
#bf4 ,alma1 the ,nephite prophet1 whose 
writings antedate by nearly a  century  
the birth of ,christ1 clearly understood
 that there would be no  resurrection   
prior to that of the ,redeemer1 for he  
said3--,behold ,i  say unto you1 that   
there is no resurrection2 or1 ,i would  
say1 in other  words1 that this mortal  
does not put on immortality2 this       
corruption  does not put on             
incorruption1 until after the coming of 
,christ4#aafc  ,and furthermore1 he     
foresaw a general resurrection in       

connection with  ,christ's coming forth 
from the dead1 as the context of the    
foregoing  quotation clearly            
proves4#aafd ,inspired men among the    
,nephites spoke  of the death and       
resurrection of ,christ#aafe even during
 the time of  ,his actual ministry in   
the flesh2 and their teachings were     
speedily  confirmed by the appearance of
 the risen ,lord among them1#aaff as had
  been foretold by their earlier        
prophets4#aafg      #aafc ,alma xl1 #b4 
#aafd ,the same4 ,paragraph #af4        
#aafe ,,iii ,nephi vi1 #bj4      #aaff  
,,iii ,nephi xi4      #aafg ,i ,nephi   
xii1 #f2 ,,ii ,nephi xxvi1 #a1 #i2 ,alma
 xvi1 #bj2 ,,iii    ,nephi xi4 #ab4     
#bg4 ,in the latter-days1 the ,lord has 
again manifested ,himself1  declaring   
the facts of ,his death and             
resurrection3--,for behold1 the  ,lord  
your ,redeemer suffered death in the    
flesh2 wherefore he suffered  the pain  
of all men1 that all men might repent   
and come unto him4 ,and  he hath risen  

again from the dead1 that he might bring
 all men unto  him on conditions of     
repentance4#aafh      #aafh ,doc4 and   
,cov4 xviii1 #aa-ab4    #bh4            
,resurrection at the ,time of ,christ's 
,second  ,coming4--,immediately1 after  
the departure of ,christ from the earth1
  the apostles1 upon whom then devolved 
the direct responsibility of the        
,church1 were found preaching the       
doctrine of a future and universal      
resurrection4 ,this teaching appears to 
have formed a very prominent  feature of
 their instructions2 for it was made a  
special cause of  complaint by the      
,sadducees1 who assailed the apostles1  
even within the  sacred confines of the 
temple1 the accusers being grieved that 
they  the apostles taught the people1   
and preached through ,jesus the         
resurrection from the dead4#aafi ,paul  
gave offense by the zeal with  which he 
preached the resurrection which was to  
come2 as witness his  contention with   
certain philosophers of the ,epicureans 

and of the  ,stoics2 in the course of   
which some said3--,what will this       
babbler  say8 other some1 ,he seemeth to
 be a setter forth of strange gods3     
because he preached unto them ,jesus1   
and the resurrection4#aagj ,the         
discussion was continued at ,areopagus1 
or ,mars' ,hill1 where ,paul  preached  
the gospel of the true and living ,god1 
including the tenets  of the            
resurrection4 ,and when they heard of   
the resurrection of the  dead1 some     
mocked2 and others said1 ,we will hear  
thee again of this  matter4#aaga ,he    
declared the same truth to ,felix1 the  
governor of  ,judea2#aagb and when      
brought in bonds before ,agrippa1 the   
king1 he  asked1 as if dealing with one 
of the principal accusations against    
him1 ,why should it be thought a thing  
incredible with you1 that ,god  should  
raise the dead8#aagc      #aafi ,acts   
iv1 #b2 see also ,matt4 xxii1 #bc1      
#ca-cb1 and ,acts xxiii1    #h4         
#aagj ,acts xvii1 #ah4      #aaga ,verse

 #cb4      #aagb ,acts xxiv1 #ae4       
#aagc ,acts xxvi1 #h4    #bi4 ,the      
resurrection appears to have been a     
favorite theme with  ,paul2 in his      
epistles to the ,saints1 he gives it a  
prominent  place4#aagd ,from him1 also1 
we learn that an order of precedence is 
to be observed in the                   
resurrection3--,but now is ,christ risen
 from the  dead1 and become the         
first-fruits of them that slept4 ,for   
since by man  came death1 by man came   
also the resurrection of the dead4 ,for 
as in  ,adam all die1 even so in ,christ
 shall all be made alive4 ,but every man
  in his own order3 ,christ the         
first-fruits2 afterward they that are   
,christ's at his coming4#aage      #aagd
 ,rom4 vi1 #e2 viii1 #aa2 ,i ,cor4 xv2  
,,ii ,cor4 iv1 #ad2 ,phil4 iii1    #ba2 
,col4 iii1 #d2 ,i ,thess4 iv1 #ad2 ,heb4
 vi1 #b4      #aage ,i ,cor4 xv1 #bj-bc2
 the entire chapter should be studied4  
#cj4 ,it is expressly declared that many
 graves shall yield up their  dead at   

the time of ,christ's advent in glory1  
and the just who have  slept1 together  
with many who have not died1 will be    
caught up to meet  the ,lord4 ,paul thus
 wrote to the ,saints in                
,thessalonica3--,even so  them also     
which sleep in ,jesus will ,god bring   
with him4444 ,for the  ,lord himself    
shall descend from heaven with a shout1 
with the voice of  the archangel1 and   
with the trump of ,god3 and the dead in 
,christ shall  rise first4 ,then we     
which are alive and remain shall be     
caught up  together with them in the    
clouds to meet the ,lord in the         
air4#aagf      #aagf ,i ,thess4 iv1     
#ad-ag4    #ca4 ,to the three ,nephite  
disciples1 who had asked the blessing of
  ,john the beloved apostle1 ,christ    
said3--,and ye shall never endure the   
pains of death2 but when ,i shall come  
in my glory1 ye shall be changed  in the
 twinkling of an eye from mortality to  
immortality4#aagg      #aagg ,,iii      
,nephi xxviii1 #h4    #cb4 ,through the 

medium of latter-day revelation1 the    
,lord has  said3--,behold ,i will come1 
and they shall see me in the clouds of  
heaven1 clothed with power and great    
glory1 with all the holy angels2  and he
 that watches not for me shall be cut   
off4 ,but before the arm of  the ,lord  
shall fall1 an angel shall sound his    
trump1 and the ,saints  that have slept 
shall come forth to meet me in the      
cloud4#aagh ,of  the many signs and     
wonders which shall attend the ,lord's  
glorious  coming we have this partial   
description3--,and the face of the ,lord
  shall be unveiled3 and the saints that
 are upon the earth1 who are  alive1    
shall be quickened1 and be caught up to 
meet him4 ,and they who  have slept in  
their graves shall come forth2 for their
 graves shall be  opened1 and they also 
shall be caught up to meet him in the   
midst of  the pillar of heaven4 ,they   
are ,christ's1 the first-fruits2 they   
who  shall descend with him first1 and  
they who are on the earth and in  their 

graves1 who are first caught up to meet 
him4#aagi      #aagh ,doc4 and ,cov4    
xlv1 #dd-de4      #aagi ,doc4 and ,cov4 
lxxxviii1 #ie-ih4    #cc4 ,such are some
 of the glories to attend the first     
resurrection2  in which only the        
righteous are to have part4 ,but the    
company of the  righteous will include  
all who have faithfully lived according 
to the  laws of ,god as made known to   
them2 children who have died in their   
innocence2 and even the just among the  
heathen nations who have lived  in      
comparative darkness while groping for  
light1 and who have died in             
ignorance4#aahj ,this doctrine is made  
plain by modern revelation3--,and  then 
shall the heathen nations be redeemed1  
and they that knew no law  shall have   
part in the first resurrection4#aaha    
,the ,millennium then  is to be         
inaugurated by a glorious deliverance of
 the just from the  power of death2 and 
of this company of the redeemed it is   
written3--,blessed and holy is he that  

hath part in the first  resurrection2 on
 such the second death hath no power1   
but they shall  be priests of ,god and  
of ,christ1 and shall reign with him a  
thousand  years4#aahb      #aahj ,see   
,note #d4      #aaha ,doc4 and ,cov4    
xlv1 #ed2 see also ,ezek4 xxxvi1 #bc-bd2
 xxxvii1    #bh2 xxxix1 #g1 #ba1 #bc4   
#aahb ,rev4 xx1 #f4    #cd4 ,the ,final 
,resurrection4--,but the rest of the    
dead lived not  again until the thousand
 years were finished4#aahc ,so said the 
,revelator after having described the   
glorious blessings of the just1  who are
 given part in the first resurrection4  
,the unworthy will be  called to the    
judgment of condemnation1 when the      
regenerated world is  ready to be       
presented to the ,father4#aahd          
#aahc ,rev4 xx1 #e4      #aahd ,see     
,note #e4    #ce4 ,the contrast between 
those whose part in the first           
resurrection  is assured1 and those     
whose doom it is to wait until the time 
of final  judgment1 is a strong one1 and

 in no case do the scriptures lighten   
it4 ,we are told that it is proper for  
us to weep over bereavement by  death1  
and more especially for those that have 
not hope of a glorious                  
resurrection4#aahe ,in the present day1 
the voice of the ,mighty ,one  is heard 
in solemn warning3--,hearken ye1 for1   
behold1 the great day  of the ,lord is  
nigh at hand4 ,for the day cometh that  
the ,lord shall  utter his voice out of 
heaven2 the heavens shall shake1 and the
 earth  shall tremble1 and the trump of 
,god shall sound both long and loud1    
and shall say to the sleeping nations1  
,ye saints arise and live2 ye  sinners  
stay and sleep until ,i shall call      
again4#aahf      #aahe ,doc4 and ,cov4  
xlii1 #de4      #aahf ,doc4 and ,cov4   
xliii1 #ag-ah4    #cf4 ,the vision of   
the final scene is thus described by    
,john3--,and ,i  saw the dead1 small and
 great1 stand before ,god2 and the books
 were  opened2 and another book was     
opened1 which is the book of life2 and  

the dead were judged out of those things
 which were written in the  books1      
according to their works4 ,and the sea  
gave up the dead which  were in it2 and 
death and hell delivered up the dead    
which were in  them3 and they were      
judged every man according to their     
works4#aahg  ,this stage marks the      
completion of the work of resurrection4 
,as the  scriptures conclusively prove1 
the resurrection will be universal2     
while it is true that the dead will be  
brought forth in order1 each as  he is  
prepared for the first or the final     
stage1 yet everyone who has  tabernacled
 in the flesh will again assume his body
 and with such be  judged4      #aahg   
,rev4 xx1 #ab-ac4    #cg4 ,the ,book of 
,mormon is explicit in the description  
of the literal  and universal           
resurrection3--,now1 there is a death   
which is called a  temporal death2 and  
the death of ,christ shall loose the    
bands of this  temporal death1 that all 
shall be raised from this temporal      

death2 ,the  spirit and the body shall  
be re-united again in its perfect form2 
both  limb and joint shall be restored  
to its proper frame1 even as we now  are
 at this time1 and we shall be brought  
to stand before ,god1 knowing  even as  
we know now1 and have a bright          
recollection of all our guilt4  ,now    
this restoration shall come to all1 both
 old and young1 both bond  and free1    
both male and female1 both the wicked   
and the righteous2 and  even there shall
 not so much as a hair of their heads be
 lost2 but all  things shall be restored
 to its perfect frame1 as it is now1 or 
in the  body1 and shall be brought and  
be arraigned before the bar of ,christ  
the ,son1 and ,god the ,father1 and the 
,holy ,spirit1 which is one eternal     
,god1 to be judged according to their   
works1 whether they be good or  whether 
they be evil4 ,now1 behold1 ,i have     
spoken unto you1 concerning  the death  
of the mortal body1 and also concerning 
the resurrection of  the mortal body4 ,i

 say unto you that this mortal body is  
raised to an  immortal body2 that is    
from death2 even from the first death   
unto  life4#aahh      #aahh ,alma xi1   
#db-de4    #ch4 ,consider also the      
following3--,the death of ,christ       
bringeth to  pass the resurrection1     
which bringeth to pass a redemption from
 an  endless sleep1 from which sleep all
 men shall be awoke by the power of     
,god when the trump shall sound2 and    
they shall come forth1 both small  and  
great1 and all shall stand before his   
bar1 being redeemed and  loosed from    
this eternal band of death1 which death 
is a temporal  death2 ,and then cometh  
the judgment of the ,holy ,one upon     
them1 and  then cometh the time that he 
that is filthy shall be filthy still2   
and  he that is righteous shall be      
righteous still2 he that is happy shall 
be happy still2 and he that is unhappy  
shall be unhappy still4#aahi      #aahi 
,mormon ix1 #ac-ad4    #ci4 ,so far has 
the word of revealed truth extended our 

knowledge  regarding the destiny of the 
children of ,god4 ,beyond the           
regeneration  of the earth1 and the     
final judgment of the just and the      
wicked1 we  know little except that a   
plan of eternal progression has been    
provided4      ,,notes4         #a4     
,pagan ,ignorance ,concerning the       
,resurrection4--,in connection          
with the statement that human knowledge 
of the resurrection is       based on   
revelation1 the following is of         
interest3--,whatever       heathen      
philosophers may have guessed as to the 
immortality of       the soul1 even     
admitting that this was really the      
result of their       own speculations1 
and not at all due to the relics of     
tradition1       it is certain that they
 never reached so far as the doctrine of
 a       bodily resurrection4 ,pliny1   
when enumerating the things which it    
was not even in the power of ,god to do1
 specified these two--the               
endowment of mortals with an eternal    

existence1 and the recalling       of   
the departed from the grave 7ii1 c1     
vii74 ,a similar opinion is             
enunciated by schylus in the            
',eumenides' 7#fdg1 #fdh74 ,the utmost  
to which they attained in their ethical 
speculations was a       conception of  
the possible continuance of life1 in    
some new forms       and conditions1    
beyond the grave2 but this was all4 ,a  
resurrection in the scripture sense of  
the word they never                     
imagined4--,cassell's ,bible            
,dictionary1 p4 #icf4         #b4       
,general ,belief in a                   
,resurrection4--,this great event of the
       future1 like the doctrine of the 
resurrection of ,christ1 is so          
entirely a cardinal truth1 that there   
never has been a time in       which it 
has not been an article of the          
,christian creed1 the only              
difference between the ancient creeds   
and our own1 being that the       latter
 has the phrase 'resurrection of the    

body' whereas the       former          
invariably uses the form 'resurrection  
of the flesh4' ,the       reason for the
 ancient mode of expression is stated by
 ,jerome to       be1 that since there  
are spiritual bodies1 some might readily
       accept a resurrection of the body
 in that sense1 who would deny       the
 actual resurrection of the             
flesh4--,cassell's ,bible               
,dictionary1 p4 #ice4         #c4 ,the  
,sadducees1 when mentioned in the ,new  
,testament1 are       usually           
represented as being in opposition to   
the ,pharisees1 the       two classes   
constituting the most influential of the
 sects       existing among the ,jews at
 the time of ,christ4 ,the two differed 
on many fundamental matters of belief   
and practice1 including                 
pre-existence of spirits2 the reality of
 spiritual punishment and       future  
retribution for sin2 the necessity of   
self-denial in       individual life2   
the immortality of the soul2 and the    

resurrection from the dead2 in all of   
which the ,pharisees stood       for the
 affirmative1 while the ,sadducees      
denied4 ,josephus       says3--,the     
doctrine of the ,sadducees is that the  
soul and body       perish together2 the
 law is all that they are concerned to  
observe 7,ant4 xviii1 #a1 #d74 ,the sect
 consisted mainly of members       of   
the aristocracy4 ,special mention of the
 ,sadducees here is       suggested by  
their determined opposition to the      
doctrine of the       resurrection1     
which they sought to assail by arrogant 
assumption       or to belittle by      
ridicule4 ,cassell's ,bible ,dictionary 
gives       place to the                
following3--,the ,sadducees are never   
mentioned in       ,john's ,gospel4 ,the
 only occasion on which they are spoken 
of in       the ,gospels of ,mark and   
,luke is that referred to also by ,st4  
,matthew1 on which they attempted to    
ridicule the doctrine of the            
resurrection1 by asking our ,lord's     

opinion as to whose wife a       woman  
would be in the future world1 who had   
been married to       several in this   
world 7,matt4 xxii1 #bc-cb2 ,mark xii1  
#ah-bg2 ,luke       xx1 #bg-ch74 ,their 
question proceeded on the assumption    
that the       levirate law1 as         
promulgated by ,moses 7,deut4 xxv1      
#e-f71 implied       that the ,jewish   
law-giver had no resurrection of the    
dead in       view4 ,our ,lord's answer 
explained the difficulty1 affirmed the  
resurrection of the dead1 and asserted  
the existence of angels1       which the
 ,sadducees also denied 7,matt4 xxii1   
#cj2 ,mark xii1 #be2       ,luke xx1    
#ce1 #cf2 compare with ,acts xxiii1 #h74
 ,he also quoted the       divine       
announcement1--',i am the ,god of       
,abraham1 the ,god of ,isaac1       and 
the ,god of ,jacob' 7,exod4 iii1 #f1    
#ae1 #af71 and founded thereon       by 
inference an argument not only for      
immortality1 but also for       the     
resurrection4 ,the words quoted must    

have been regarded by our       ,lord as
 implying that the patriarchs1 as       
parties to the covenant1       were     
still in a state of conscious relation  
to ,god4         #d4 ,heathen in the    
,first ,resurrection4--,the statement   
that the       heathen dead will have   
place in the first resurrection is      
sustained by the word of scripture1 and 
by a consideration of the               
principles of true justice according to 
which humanity is to be       judged4   
,man will be accounted blameless or     
guilty1 according to       his deeds as 
interpreted in the light of the law     
under which he       is required to     
live4 ,it is inconsistent with our      
conception of a       just ,god1 to     
believe ,him capable of inflicting      
condemnation upon       any one for     
noncompliance with a requirement of     
which the person       had no knowledge4
 ,nevertheless1 the laws of the ,church 
will not       be suspended even in the 
case of those who have sinned in        

darkness and ignorance2 but it is       
reasonable to believe that the          
plan of redemption will afford such     
benighted ones an opportunity       of  
learning the laws of ,god2 and surely1  
as fast as they so       learn1 will    
obedience be required on pain of the    
penalty4 ,note       the following      
passages in addition to the citations in
 the text3         ,and if there was no 
law given if men sinned1 what could     
justice       do1 or mercy either2 for  
they would have no claim upon the       
creature8--,alma xlii1 #ba4             
,wherefore he has given a law2 and where
 there is no law given1       there is  
no punishment2 and where there is no    
punishment1 there       is no           
condemnation2 and where there is no     
condemnation1 the       mercies of the  
,holy ,one of ,israel have claim upon   
them1 because       of the atonement2   
for they are delivered by the power of  
him4--,,ii ,nephi ix1 #be4         ,and 
moreover1 ,i say unto you1 that the time

 shall come1 when the       knowledge of
 a ,savior shall spread throughout every
 nation1       kindred1 tongue1 and     
people4 ,and behold1 when that time     
cometh1       none shall be found       
blameless before ,god1 except it be     
little       children1 only through     
repentance and faith on the name of the 
,lord ,god ,omnipotent4--,mos4 iii1     
#bj-ba4 ,see also ,helaman xv1          
#ad-ae4         #e4 ,the ,intermediate  
,state of the ,soul2 ,paradise4--,the   
condition       of the spirits of men   
between death and the resurrection is a 
subject of great interest1 and one      
concerning which much dispute       has 
arisen4 ,the scriptures prove1 that at  
the time of man's final       judgment  
he will stand before the bar of ,god1   
clothed in his       resurrected body1  
and this1 irrespective of his condition 
of       purity or guilt4 ,while        
awaiting the time of their coming forth1
       disembodied spirits exist in an  
intermediate state1 of happiness        

and rest or of suffering and suspense1  
according to their works       in       
mortality4 ,the prophet ,alma           
said3--,now concerning the state        
of the soul between death and the       
resurrection4 ,behold1 it has       been
 made known unto me1 by an angel1 that  
the spirits of all       men1 as soon as
 they are departed from this mortal     
body2 yea1 the       spirits of all men1
 whether they be good or evil1 are taken
 home       to that ,god who gave them  
life4 ,and then shall it come to pass   
that the spirits of those who are       
righteous are received into a           
state of happiness1 which is called     
paradise2 a state of rest2 a       state
 of peace1 where they shall rest from   
all their troubles and       from all   
care1 and sorrow1 etc4 ,and then shall  
it come to pass1       that the spirits 
of the wicked1 yea1 who are evil2 for   
behold1       they have no part nor     
portion of the ,spirit of the ,lord2 for
       behold1 they chose evil works    

rather than good2 therefore the         
spirit of the devil did enter into them1
 and take possession of       their     
house2 and these shall be cast out into 
outer darkness2       there shall be    
weeping1 and wailing1 and gnashing of   
teeth2 and       this because of their  
own iniquity2 being led captive by the  
will       of the devil4 ,now this is   
the state of the souls of the wicked2   
yea1 in darkness1 and a state of awful1 
fearful looking1 for the       fiery    
indignation of the wrath of ,god upon   
them2 thus they remain       in this    
state1 as well as the righteous in      
paradise until the       time of their  
resurrection4--,alma xl1 #aa-ad4        
,reference to paradise1 as a place      
prepared for righteous spirits          
while awaiting the resurrection1 is made
 also by the first ,nephi       7,,ii   
,nephi ix1 #ac71 by a later prophet of  
the same name 7,,iv ,nephi       #ad71  
and by ,moroni 7,moroni x1 #cd74 ,new   
,testament mention supports       the   

same 7,luke xxiii1 #dc2 ,,ii ,cor4 xii1 
#d2 ,rev4 ii1 #g74 ,paradise1           
then1 is not the place of final glory2  
for such the thief who       died with  
,christ was assuredly not prepared1 yet 
we cannot doubt       the fulfillment of
 our ,lord's promise that the penitent  
malefactor should be with ,him in       
paradise that day2 and1       moreover1 
the declaration of the risen ,savior to 
,mary ,magdalene1       three days      
later1 that ,he had not at that time    
ascended to ,his       ,father1 is proof
 of ,his having spent the intermediate  
time in       paradise4         ,the    
word paradise1 by its derivation through
 the ,greek from the       ,persian1    
signifies a pleasure ground4            
,,lecture ,,xxii4    ,,religious        
,,liberty ,,and ,,toleration4           
,article #aa4--,we claim the privilege  
of worshiping ,almighty ,god            
according to the dictates of our own    
conscience1 and allow all       men the 
same privilege1 let them worship how1   

where1 or what they       may4      #a4 
,man's ,right to ,freedom in            
,worship4--,the ,latter-day ,saints     
proclaim their unqualified allegiance to
 the principles of religious  liberty   
and religious toleration4 ,freedom to   
worship ,almighty ,god as  the          
conscience may dictate1 they claim as   
one of the inherent and  inalienable    
rights of humanity4 ,the inspired       
framers of our charter of  national     
independence proclaimed to the world1 as
 a self-evident  truth1 that the common 
birthright of humanity gives to every   
man a  claim to life1 liberty1 and the  
pursuit of happiness4 ,happiness is     
foreign1 liberty but a name1 and life a 
disappointment to him who is  denied the
 freedom to worship as he may desire4   
,no person possessing a  regard for     
,deity and a sense of duty toward that  
power ,divine1 can be  happy if he be   
restricted in the performance of the    
highest duty of  his existence4 ,could  
one be happy1 though he were housed in a

 palace1  surrounded with all material  
comforts and provided with every        
facility  for intellectual enjoyment1 if
 he were cut off from communion with the
  being whom he loved the most8 ,to the 
man who has learned to know his  ,divine
 ,father1 freedom of worship is         
preferable even to life4    #b4 ,what is
 ,worship8--,the derivation of the term 
suggests an answer4  ,it comes to us as 
the lineal descendant of a pair of      
,anglo-,saxon words  7weorth1 meaning   
worthy1 and scipe1 the old form of ship1
  signifying condition or state71 and   
conveys the thought of  worthy-ship4    
,the worship of which one is capable    
depends upon his  comprehension of the  
worthiness characterizing the object of 
his  reverence4 ,man's capacity for     
worship is a measure of his             
comprehension of ,god4 ,the fuller the  
acquaintance1 the closer the  communion 
between the worshiper and his ,deity1   
the more thorough and  sincere will be  
his homage4 ,when we say of one1 in     

figurative speech1  that he is a        
worshiper of the good1 the beautiful1   
the true1 we affirm  that he possesses a
 deeper and a more complete conception  
of worth in  the object of his          
adoration1 than has another whose       
perception does  not lead him to        
reverence those ennobling qualities4    
#c4 ,man1 then1 will worship ,god       
according to his conception of the      
,divine attributes and powers2 and this 
conception approaches the  correct one  
in proportion to the spiritual light    
that has come to him4  ,true worship    
cannot exist where there is no reverence
 or love for the  object4 ,this         
reverence may be ill-founded2 the       
adoration may be a  species of idolatry2
 the object may be in fact unworthy2 yet
 of the  devotee it must be said that he
 worships if his conscience clothe the  
idol with the attribute of worthy-ship4 
,we have spoken of true  worship2 the   
expression is a pleonasm4 ,worship1 as  
has been affirmed1  is the heart-felt   

adoration that is rendered as a result  
of a sincere  conception of worthiness  
on the part of the object2 any          
manifestation  of reverence prompted by 
a conviction inferior to this is but a  
counterfeit of worship4 ,call such false
 worship if you choose1 but  let it be  
remembered that worship is necessarily  
true1 the word  requires no adjective to
 extend its meaning1 nor to attest its  
genuineness4 ,worship is not a matter of
 form1 any more than is prayer4  ,it    
consists not in posture nor in gesture1 
in ritual nor in creed4  ,worship most  
profound may be rendered with none of   
the artificial  accessories of          
ritualistic service2 for altar1 the     
stone in the  desert may serve2 the     
peaks of the everlasting hills are      
temple  spires2 the vault of heaven is  
of all the grandest cathedral dome4     
#d4 ,man is at heart an inferior pattern
 of that which he worships4  ,the       
savage1 who knows no triumph greater    
than that of bloody victory  over his   

enemy1 who regards prowess and physical 
strength as the most  desirable         
qualities of his race1 and who looks    
upon revenge and  vindictiveness as the 
sweetest gratifications of life1 will   
assuredly  ascribe such attributes to   
his deity2 and will offer his           
profoundest  reverence in sacrifices of 
blood4 ,all the revolting practices of  
idolatry are traceable to perverted and 
fiendish conceptions of human           
excellence1 and these are reflected in  
the hideous creations of  man-made1     
devil-inspired deities4 ,on the other   
hand1 the man whose  enlightened soul   
has received the impress of love1 pure  
and undefiled1  will ascribe to his ,god
 the attributes of gentleness and       
affection1  and will say in his heart1  
,god is love4 ,he alone who has acquired
 a  proper understanding of the glory   
and responsibility of parenthood1  can  
intelligently use the ,son's title of   
invocation1 ,our ,father4  ,knowledge1  
therefore1 is essential to worship2 man 

cannot adequately  serve ,god in        
ignorance2 and the greater his knowledge
 of the ,divine  personality1 the       
fuller1 truer1 will be his adoration2 he
 may learn to  know the ,father1 and the
 ,son who was sent2 and such knowledge  
is man's  guarantee to eternal life4    
#e4 ,worship is the voluntary homage of 
the soul4 ,under compulsion1 or  for the
 hypocritical purposes of effect1 one   
may insincerely perform  all the outward
 ceremonies of an established style of  
adoration2 he  may voice words of       
prescribed prayers2 his lips may profess
 a creed2  yet his effort is but a      
mockery of worship1 and its indulgence a
 sin4  ,our ,father desires no reluctant
 homage nor unwilling praise4 ,formalism
  in worship is acceptable only so far  
as it is accompanied by an  intelligent 
devoutness2 and it is of use only as an 
aid to the  spiritual devotion which    
leads to communion with ,deity4 ,the    
spoken  prayer is but empty sound if it 
be anything less than an index to the   

volume of the soul's righteous desire4  
,communications addressed to the  throne
 of ,grace must bear the stamp of       
sincerity if they are to reach  their   
high destination4 ,the most acceptable  
form of worship is that  which rests on 
an unreserved compliance with the laws  
of ,god as the  worshiper has learned   
their purport4    #f4 ,religious        
,intolerance4--,the ,church holds1 that 
the right to  worship according to the  
dictates of conscience has been         
conferred  upon man by an authority     
higher than any of earth2 and that1 in  
consequence1 no worldly power can justly
 interfere with its exercise4  ,the     
,latter-day ,saints accept as inspired  
the constitutional provision1  by which 
religious liberty within our own nation 
is professedly  guarded1 that no law    
shall ever be made respecting an        
establishment  of religion1 or          
prohibiting the free exercise           
thereof2#aaij and they  confidently     
believe that1 with the spread of        

enlightenment throughout  the world1 a  
similar guarantee will be acquired by   
every nation4  ,intolerance has been the
 greatest hindrance to true progress in 
every  period of time2 yet under the    
sable cloak of perverted zeal for       
religion1 nations while boasting of     
their civilization1 and professed       
ministers of the gospel of ,christ1 have
 stained the pages of the  world's      
history with the record of such unholy  
deeds of persecution as  to make the    
heavens weep4 ,in this respect1         
so-called ,christianity  ought to bow   
its head in shame before the record of  
even pagan  toleration4 ,rome1 while    
arrogantly1 though none the less        
effectively1  posing as the mistress of 
the world1 granted to her vanquished    
subjects the rights of free worship1    
requiring of them only that they        
refrain from molesting others or one    
another in the exercise of such         
freedom4      #aaij ,constitution of the
 ,united ,states1 first amendment4      

#g4 ,but as soon as the gospel of       
,christ was established upon the  earth1
 its devout adherents immediately1 and  
its more pretentious  though less       
sincere devotees of a later day1 came to
 regard themselves  as of such sanctity 
and excellence that all who believed and
 professed  not as did they1 were wholly
 unworthy of consideration4 ,nay1 even  
long  prior to the advent of the        
,teacher of ,love1 ,israel1 knowing the 
covenant of ,divine favor under which   
they had flourished1 counted  themselves
 sure of an exalted station1 and looked 
upon all who were  not of the chosen    
seed as unworthy4 ,christ1 in ,his      
ministry among the  ,jews1 saw with     
compassionate sorrow the spiritual and  
intellectual  bondage of the times1 and 
declared unto them the saving word1     
saying1  ,the truth shall make you free4
 ,at this1 those self-righteous         
children of the covenant became angry1  
and boastfully answered1 ,we be         
,abraham's seed1 and were never in      

bondage to any man2 how sayest thou1    
,ye shall be made free8 ,then the       
,master reproved them for their         
bigotry3--,i know that ye are ,abraham's
 seed1 but ye seek to kill me1  because 
my word has no place in you4#aaia       
#aaia ,john viii1 #cb-de2 see also      
,matt4 iii1 #i4 ,see ,jesus the         
,christ1 p4 #djh4    #h4 ,there is      
little cause for wonder in the fact that
 the early  ,christians1 zealous for the
 new faith unto which they had been     
baptized1 and newly converted from      
idolatrous practices and pagan          
superstitions1 should consider          
themselves superior to the rest of      
humanity still sitting in darkness and  
ignorance4 ,even ,john1 now known  as   
the ,apostle of ,love1 but surnamed by  
the ,christ1 he and his brother  ,james1
 ,boanerges1 or ,sons of ,thunder1#aaib 
was intolerant and  resentful toward    
those who followed not his path2 and    
more than once  he had to be rebuked by 
his ,master4 ,note this incident3--,and 

,john  answered him1 saying1 ,master1 we
 saw one casting out devils in thy      
name1 and he followeth not us2 and we   
forbade him because he followeth  not   
us4 ,but ,jesus said1 ,forbid him not3  
for there is no man which  shall do a   
miracle in my name1 that can lightly    
speak evil of me4 ,for  he that is not  
against us is on our part4 ,for         
whosoever shall give you  a cup of water
 to drink in my name1 because ye belong 
to ,christ1  verily ,i say unto you1 he 
shall not lose his reward4#aaic ,and    
again1  while traveling with their ,lord
 through ,samaria1 the apostles ,james  
and ,john were incensed at the          
,samaritans' neglect shown toward the   
,master2 and they craved permission to  
call fire from heaven to consume  the   
unbelievers1 but their revengeful desire
 was promptly rebuked by  the ,lord1 who
 said1 ,ye know not what manner of      
spirit ye are of4 ,for  the ,son of man 
is not come to destroy men's lives1 but 
to save  them4#aaid      #aaib ,mark    

iii1 #ag4      #aaic ,mark ix1 #ch-da2  
see also ,luke ix1 #di-ej1 and compare  
,numb4    xi1 #bg-bi4      #aaid ,luke  
ix1 #ea-ef2 see also ,john iii1 #ag1 and
 xii1 #dg4    #i4 ,intolerance is       
,unscriptural4--,the teachings of our   
,lord breathe  the spirit of forbearance
 and love even to enemies4 ,he          
tolerated1  though he could not approve1
 the practices of the heathen in their  
idolatry1 the ,samaritans with their    
mongrel and unorthodox customs of       
worship1 the luxury-loving ,sadducees1  
and the law-bound ,pharisees4  ,hatred  
was not countenanced even toward foes4  
,his instructions  were3--,love your    
enemies1 bless them that curse you1 do  
good to them  that hate you1 and pray   
for them which despitefully use you1 and
  persecute you2 that ye may be the     
children of your ,father which is in    
heaven3 for he maketh his sun to rise on
 the evil and on the good1 and  sendeth 
rain on the just and on the unjust4#aaie
 ,the ,twelve were  commanded to salute 

with their blessing every house at which
 they  applied for hospitality4 ,true1  
if the people rejected them and their   
message1 retribution was to follow2 but 
this visitation of cursing was  to be   
reserved as a ,divine prerogative for   
the judgment day4 ,in ,his  ,parable of 
the ,tares1 ,christ taught the same     
lesson of forbearance2  the hasty       
servants wanted to pluck out the weeds  
straightway1 but they  were forbidden   
lest they root up the wheat also2 and   
were assured that  a separation would be
 effected in the time of harvest4#aaif  
#aaie ,matt4 v1 #dd-de4      #aaif      
,matt4 xiii1 #bd-cj4    #aj4 ,in spite  
of the prevailing spirit of toleration  
and love which  pervades the teachings  
of the ,savior and ,his apostles1       
attempts have  been made to draw from   
the scriptures justification for        
intolerance  and persecution4#aaig      
,paul's stinging words1 addressed to the
  ,galatians1 have been given a meaning 
wholly foreign to the spirit  which     

prompted them4 ,warning the ,saints of  
false teachers1 he  said3--,as we said  
before1 so say ,i now again1 ,if any man
 preach any  other gospel unto you than 
that ye have received1 let him be       
accursed4#aaih ,with such an utterance1 
self-styled ministers of  ,christ1 who1 
if the whole truth were considered1 are 
perhaps preaching  doctrines foreign to 
the apostolic precepts1 seek to justify 
their  sectarian hatred and unchristian 
cruelty2 forgetting that vengeance  and 
recompense belong to the ,lord4#aaii    
#aaig ,see ,note #a4      #aaih ,gal4 i1
 #i2 also #h4      #aaii ,deut4 xxxii1  
#ce2 ,psa4 xciv1 #a2 ,rom4 xii1 #ai2    
,heb4 x1 #cj4    #aa4 ,the intent of    
,john's words of counsel to the ,elect  
,lady has been  perverted1 and his      
teachings have been made a cover of     
refuge for  persecutors and bigots4     
,warning her of the ministers of        
,antichrist who  were industriously     
disseminating their heresies1 the       
apostle  wrote3--,if there come any unto

 you1 and bring not this doctrine1      
receive him not into your house1 neither
 bid him ,god-speed3 for he  that       
biddeth him ,god-speed is partaker of   
his evil deeds4#abjj ,by no  rightful   
interpretation can these words be made  
to sanction  intolerance1 persecution1  
and hatred4      #abjj ,,ii ,john1      
#aj-aa4    #ab4 ,the apostle's true     
meaning has been set forth with         
clearness and  force by a renowned      
,christian writer of the present day1   
who1 after  deploring the narrow        
intolerance of an ignorant dogmatism1   
says3--,the ,apostle of ,love would have
 belied all that is best in his  own    
teaching if he had consciously given an 
absolution1 nay1 an  incentive1 to      
furious intolerance4444 ,meanwhile1 this
 incidental  expression of ,st4 ,john's 
brief letter will not lend itself to    
these  gross perversions4 ,what ,st4    
,john really says and really means1 is  
something wholly different4 ,false      
teachers were rife1 who1 professing  to 

be ,christians1 robbed the nature of    
,christ of all which gave its  efficacy 
to the atonement1 and its significance  
to the incarnation4  ,these teachers1   
like other ,christian missionaries1     
traveled from city  to city2 and1 in the
 absence of public inns1 were received  
into the  houses of ,christian converts4
 ,the ,christian lady to whom ,st4 ,john
  writes is warned1 that if she offers  
her hospitality to these  dangerous     
emissaries1 who were subverting the     
central truth of  ,christianity1 she is 
expressing a public sanction of them2   
and by  doing this1 and offering them   
her best wishes1 she is taking a direct 
share in the harm they do4 ,this is     
common sense1 nor is there anything     
uncharitable in it4 ,no one is bound to 
help forward the dissemination  of      
teaching what he regards as erroneous   
respecting the most essential  doctrines
 of his own faith4 ,still less would it 
have been right to do  this in the days 
when ,christian communities were so     

small and weak4  ,but1 to interpret this
 as it has in all ages been practically 
interpreted--to pervert it into a sort  
of command to exaggerate the  minor     
variations between religious opinions1  
and to persecute those  whose views     
differ from our own--to make our own    
opinions the  conclusive test of heresy1
 and to say with ,cornelius-a-,lapide1  
that  this verse reprobates 'all        
conversations1 all intercourse1 all     
dealings with heretics'--is to interpret
 scripture by the glare of  partisanship
 and spiritual self-satisfaction1 not to
 read it under the  light of holy       
love4#abja      #abja ,canon ,farrar4   
,the ,early ,days of ,christianity1 pp4 
#ehg1    #ehh4    #ac4 ,toleration is   
not ,acceptance4--,the human frailty of 
running to  extremes in thought and     
action finds few more glaring examples  
than  are presented in man's dealings   
with his fellows on matters religious4  
,on the one hand1 he is prone to regard 
the faith of others as not  merely      

inferior to his own1 but as utterly     
unworthy of his respect2  or1 on the    
other1 he brings himself to believe that
 all sects are  equally justified in    
their professions and practices1 and    
that  therefore there is no             
distinctively true order of religion4   
,it is in  no wise inconsistent for     
,latter-day ,saints to boldly proclaim  
the  conviction1 that their own ,church 
is the accepted one1 the only one       
entitled to the designation ,church of  
,jesus ,christ1 and the sole  earthly   
repository of the eternal priesthood in 
the present age2 and  yet to willingly  
accord kind treatment and a recognition 
of sincerity  of purpose to every soul  
or sect honestly professing ,christ1 or 
merely  showing a respect for truth1 and
 manifesting a sincere desire to walk   
according to the light received4 ,my    
allegiance to the ,church of my  choice 
is based on a conviction of the validity
 and genuineness of its  high claim to  
distinction1 as the one and only ,church

 possessing a  ,god-given charter of    
authority2 nevertheless1 ,i count the   
sects as  sincere until they demonstrate
 that they are otherwise1 and am        
prepared to defend them in their rights4
    #ad4 ,joseph ,smith1 the first      
prophet of the last dispensation1 while 
reproving certain of his brethren for   
intolerance toward the cherished        
beliefs of other men1 taught that even  
idolaters ought to be  protected in     
their worship2 that1 while it would be  
the strict duty of  any ,christian to   
direct his efforts toward enlightening  
such benighted  minds1 he would not be  
justified in forcibly depriving even the
  heathen of their rights of adoration4 
,in the pure eyes of ,god1  idolatry is 
one of the most heinous of sins2 yet ,he
 is tolerant of  those who1 knowing ,him
 not1 yield to their inherited instinct 
for  worship by rendering homage even to
 stocks and stones4 ,deadly as is  the  
sin of idolatrous worship on the part of
 him to whom light has  come1 it may    

represent in the savage the sincerest   
reverence of which  he is capable4 ,and1
 as set forth in a preceding            
lecture1#abjb the  voice of the ,eternal
 ,one has declared that the heathen who 
have known  no law shall have part in   
the first resurrection4      #abjb ,see 
page #fa4    #ae4 ,what justification   
can man find for intolerance toward his 
fellow1 when ,god1 who is grieved over  
every sin1 manifests so marked a        
forbearance8 ,the free agency of the    
human soul is sacred to ,deity4         
,know this1 that every soul is free1    
,to choose his life1 and what he'll be2 
,for this eternal truth is given1       
,that ,god will force no man to heaven4 
,he'll call1 persuade1 direct aright1   
,bless him with wisdom1 love1 and light1
      ,in nameless ways be good and     
kind1      ,but never force the human   
mind4    #af4 ,man is strictly          
,answerable for his ,acts4--,the        
unbounded  liberality and true tolerance
 with which the ,church of ,jesus       

,christ of  ,latter-day ,saints regards 
other religious denominations1 and the  
teachings of the ,church respecting the 
assurance of final redemption  for all  
men except the few who have fallen so   
far as to have committed  the           
unpardonable sin1 thereby becoming ,sons
 of ,perdition1 may suggest  the        
erroneous conclusion1 that we believe   
that all so redeemed shall  be admitted 
to equal powers1 privileges1 and glories
 in the ,heaven of  our ,god4 ,far from 
this1 the ,church proclaims the doctrine
 of many and  varied degrees of glory1  
which the redeemed will inherit in      
strict  accordance with their           
merits4#abjc ,we believe in no general  
plan of  universal forgiveness or       
reward1 by which sinners of high and low
  degree shall be exempted from the     
effects of their deeds1 while the       
righteous are ushered into heaven as a  
dwelling place in common1 all  glorified
 in the same measure4 ,as stated1 the   
heathen whose sins are  those of        

ignorance1 are to come forth with the   
just in the first  resurrection2 but    
this does not imply that those children 
of the lower  races are to inherit the  
glory provided for the able1 the        
valiant1 and  the true1 in the cause of 
,god on earth4      #abjc ,see pp4      
#id-ie4    #ag4 ,our condition in the   
world to come will be strictly a result 
of  the life we lead in this probation1 
as1 by the light of revealed truth      
regarding the pre-existent state1#abjd  
we perceive our present  condition to be
 determined by the fidelity with which  
we kept our  first estate4 ,the         
scriptures repeatedly declare that man  
will reap the  natural harvest of his   
works in life1 be such good or evil2 in 
the  effective language with which the  
,father encourages and warns his  frail 
children1 every one will be rewarded or 
punished according to  his works4#abje  
,in eternity1 man will enjoy or loath   
the fruit of  his doing4      #abjd ,see
 pp4 #aie-aih4      #abje ,job xxxiv1   

#aa2 ,psal4 lxii1 #ab2 ,jer4 xvii1 #aj2 
xxxii1 #ai2    ,matt4 xvi1 #ag2 ,rom4   
ii1 #f-ab2 xiv1 #ab2 ,i ,cor4 iii1 #h2  
,,ii ,cor4 v1    #aj2 ,rev4 ii1 #bc2 xx1
 #ab2 xxii1 #ab4    #ah4 ,degrees of    
,glory4--,that the privileges and       
glories of heaven are  graded to suit   
the various capacities of the blessed1  
is indicated in  ,christ's teachings4   
,to ,his apostles ,he said3--,in my     
,father's house  are many mansions3 if  
it were not so1 ,i would have told you4 
,i go to  prepare a place for you4 ,and 
if ,i go and prepare a place for you1 ,i
  will come again1 and receive you unto 
myself2 that where ,i am1 there  ye may 
be also4#abjf      #abjf ,john xiv1     
#a-c4    #ai4 ,this utterance is        
supplemented by that of ,paul1 who      
speaks of  the graded glories of the    
resurrection as follows3--,there are    
also  celestial bodies1 and bodies      
terrestrial3 but the glory of the       
celestial is one1 and the glory of the  
terrestrial is another4 ,there  is one  

glory of the sun1 and another glory of  
the moon1 and another  glory of the     
stars2 for one star differeth from      
another star in glory4  ,so also is the 
resurrection of the dead4#abjg          
#abjg ,i ,cor4 xv1 #dj-db4    #bj4 ,a   
fuller knowledge of this subject has    
been imparted in the  present           
dispensation4 ,from a revelation given  
in #ahcbabjh we learn  the              
following3--,three great kingdoms or    
degrees of glory are  established for   
the future habitation of the human race2
 these are  known as the ,celestial1 the
 ,terrestrial1 and the ,telestial4 ,far 
below  the last and least of these1 is  
the state of eternal punishment         
prepared for the ,sons of ,perdition4   
#abjh ,doc4 and ,cov4 lxxvi4    #ba4    
,the ,celestial ,glory is provided for  
those who merit the highest  honors of  
heaven4 ,in the revelation referred to1 
we read of  them3--,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  commandment 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 things1--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 theirs1  and they are ,christ's1 and
 ,christ is ,god's4444 ,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 just4444 ,these are 
they who are  just men made perfect     
through ,jesus1 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 celestial1 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#abji      #abji ,the same3     
,paragraphs #ea-gj4    #bb4 ,the        
,terrestrial ,glory4--,this1 the next   

lower degree1 will be  attained by many 
whose works do not merit the highest    
reward4 ,we read  of them3--,these are  
they who are of the terrestrial1 whose  
glory  differs from that of the ,church 
of the ,first-born who have received    
the fulness of the ,father1 even as that
 of the moon differs from the  sun in   
the firmament4 ,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 unto them1 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  honorable  
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 wherefore  
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    
obtain not the crown over the kingdom of
 our  ,god4#abaj      #abaj ,the same3  
,paragraphs #ga-gi4    #bc4 ,the        
,telestial ,glory4--,the revelation     
continues3--,and again1 we  saw the     
glory of the telestial1#abaa which glory
 is that of the  lesser1 even as the    
glory of the stars differs from that of 
the glory  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 ,lamb 
shall have  finished his work4#abab ,we 
learn further that the inhabitants of   
this kingdom are to be graded among     
themselves1 comprising as they do  the  
unenlightened among the varied opposing 

sects and divisions of  men1 and sinners
 of many types1 whose offences are not  
those of utter  perdition2--,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#abac ,evidently a considerable
 part of the  human family will fail of 
all glory beyond that of the telestial  
kingdom1 for we are told1--,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  seashore4#abad ,they are 

thus not wholly rejected2 their every   
merit  will be respected4 ,for they     
shall be judged according to their      
works1  and every man shall receive     
according to his own works1 his own     
dominion in the mansions which are      
prepared2 and they shall be  servants of
 the ,most ,high1 but where ,god and    
,christ dwell1 they cannot  come1 worlds
 without end4#abae      #abaa ,see ,note
 #b4      #abab ,paragraphs #ha-hf4     
#abac ,doc4 and ,cov4 lxxvi1 #ih-aja4   
#abad ,the same3 ,par4 #aji4      #abae 
,the same3 ,par4 #aaa-aab4    #bd4 ,the 
,kingdoms with ,respect to ,one         
,another4--,the three kingdoms of       
widely differing glories are themselves 
organized on an orderly plan  of        
gradation4 ,we have seen that the       
telestial kingdom comprises a  multitude
 of subdivisions2 this also is the case1
 we are told1 with  the celestial2#abaf 
and1 by analogy1 we conclude that a     
similar  condition prevails in the      
terrestrial4 ,thus the innumerable      

degrees of  merit amongst mankind are   
provided for in an infinity of graded   
glories4 ,the ,celestial kingdom is     
supremely honored by the personal       
ministrations of the ,father and the    
,son4#abag ,the ,terrestrial kingdom    
will be administered through the higher1
 without a fullness of glory4  ,the     
,telestial is governed through the      
ministrations of the  ,terrestrial1 by  
angels who are appointed to minister for
 them4#abah      #abaf ,doc4 and ,cov4  
cxxxi1 #a2 see also ,,ii ,cor4 xii1     
#a-d4      #abag ,doc4 and ,cov4 lxxvi1 
#fh4      #abah ,par4 #hf1 #hh4    #be4 
,it is reasonable to believe1 in the    
absence of direct  revelation by which  
alone absolute knowledge of the matter  
could be  acquired1 that1 in accordance 
with ,god's plan of eternal progression1
  advancement from grade to grade within
 each of the three specified  kingdoms  
will be provided for4 ,but if the       
recipients of a lower glory  be enabled 
to advance1 surely the intelligences of 

higher rank shall  not be stopped in    
their progress2 and thus we may conclude
 that  degrees and grades will ever     
characterize the kingdoms of our ,god4  
,eternity is progressive2 perfection is 
relative2 the essential feature  of     
,god's living purpose is its associated 
power of eternal increase4    #bf4 ,the 
,sons of ,perdition4--,we learn of      
another class of souls whose  sins are  
such as to place them beyond the present
 possibility of  redemption4 ,these are 
called ,sons of ,perdition2 children of 
the fallen  angel1 once a ,son of the   
,morning1 now ,lucifer1 or              
,perdition4#abai  ,these are they who   
have violated truth in the full blaze of
 the light  of knowledge2 who1 having   
received the testimony of ,christ1 and  
having  been endowed by the ,holy       
,spirit1 then deny the same and defy the
 power  of ,god1 crucifying the ,lord   
afresh1 and putting ,him to an open     
shame4  ,this1 the unpardonable sin1 can
 be committed by those only who have    

received the knowledge and the sacred   
conviction of the truth1 against  which 
they then rebel4 ,their sin is          
comparable to the treason of  ,lucifer1 
by which he sought to usurp the power   
and glory of his ,god4  ,concerning them
 and their dreadful fate1 the ,almighty 
has said3--,i  say that it had been     
better for them never to have been born2
 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 said1 there  is 
no forgiveness in this world nor in the 
world to come4444 ,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      
knows2 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#abbj      #abai ,doc4 and 
,cov4 lxxvi1 #be-bg4      #abbj ,doc4   
and ,cov4 lxxvi1 #ca-dh1 see also ,heb4 
vi1 #d-f2 ,alma    xxxix1 #f4 ,for other
 references see page #fb4    #bg4       
,surely the doctrines of the ,church are
 explicit in defining the  relationship 
between the mortal probation and the    
future state1 and in  teaching the      
individual accountability and the free  
agency of man4 ,the  ,church affirms    
that in view of the terrible            
responsibility under which  every man   
rests1 as the unrestrained director of  
his own course1 he  must be and is free 
to choose in all things1 from the life  
that leads  to the celestial home1 to   

the career that is but the introduction 
to  the miseries of perdition4 ,freedom 
to worship1 or to refuse to  worship1 is
 a ,god-given right4      ,,notes4      
#a4 ,intolerance among ,christians      
,to-day4--,it must be       said--though
 ,i say it with the deepest sorrow--that
 the cold       exclusiveness of the    
,pharisee1 the bitter ignorance of the  
self-styled theologian1 the usurped     
infallibility of the       half-educated
 religionist1 have been ever the curse  
of       ,christianity4 ,they have      
imposed 'the senses of men upon the     
words       of ,god1 the special senses 
of men on the general words of ,god2'   
and have tried to enforce them on all   
men's consciences with all       kinds  
of burnings and anathemas under equal   
threats of death and       damnation4   
,and thus they incurred the terrible    
responsibility of       presenting      
religion to mankind in a false and      
repellent guise4 ,is       theological  
hatred still to be a proverb for the    

world's just       contempt8 ,is such   
hatred--hatred in its bitterest and most
       ruthless form--to be regarded as 
the legitimate and normal       outcome 
of the religion of love8 ,is the spirit 
of peace never to       be brought to   
bear on religious opinions8 ,are such   
questions       always to excite the    
most intense animosities1 and the most  
terrible divisions8444 ,is the world to 
be forever confirmed in       its       
opinion that theological partisans are  
less truthful1 less       candid1 less  
high-minded1 less honorable even than   
the partisans       of political and    
social causes1 who make no profession as
 to the       duty of love8 ,are the    
so-called 'religious' champions to be   
forever as they now are1 the most       
unscrupulously bitter1 the most         
conspicuously unfair8 ,alas6 they might 
be so with far less danger       to the 
cause of religion if they would forego  
the luxury of       'quoting scripture  
for their purpose4'--,canon ,farrar1    

,the ,early       ,days of              
,christianity1 pp4 #ehd-ehe4         #b4
 ,telestial4--,the adjective telestial  
has not become       current in the     
language2 its use is at present confined
 to the       theology of the ,church of
 ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints4 
,it       is applied as a distinguishing
 term to the lowest of the three        
kingdoms of glory provided for the      
redeemed4 ,the only ,english       word 
approaching it in form is the adjective 
telestic1 which is       defined        
thus3--tending toward the end or final  
accomplishment2       tending to        
accomplish a purpose4         #c4       
,toleration4--',mormonism' offers no    
modified or conditional       claims as 
to the necessity of compliance with the 
laws and       ordinances of the gospel 
by every independent inhabitant of earth
       unto whom salvation shall come4  
,it distinguishes not between           
enlightened and heathen nations1 nor    
between men of high or low              

intelligence2 nor even between the      
living and the dead4 ,no human          
being who has attained years of         
accountability in the flesh1 may        
hope for salvation in the kingdom of    
,god until he has rendered              
obedience to the requirements of        
,christ1 the ,redeemer of the           
world4 ,but while thus decisive1        
',mormonism' is not exclusive4 ,it      
does not claim that all who have failed 
to accept and obey the       gospel of  
eternal life shall be eternally and     
forever damned4       ,while boldly     
asserting that the ,church of ,jesus    
,christ of       ,latter-day ,saints is 
the sole repository of the ,holy        
,priesthood       as now restored to    
earth1 it teaches and demands the       
fullest       toleration for all        
individuals1 and organizations of       
individuals1       professing           
righteousness2 and holds that each shall
 be rewarded       for the measure of   
good he has wrought1 to be adjudged in  

accordance with the spiritual knowledge 
he has gained4 ,and for       such high 
claims combined with such professions of
 tolerance1 the       ,church has been  
accused of inconsistency4 ,let it not be
       forgotten1 however1 that         
toleration is not acceptance4 ,i may    
believe with the utmost fulness of my   
soul's powers that ,i am       right and
 my neighbor is wrong concerning any    
proposition or       principle2 but such
 conviction gives me no semblance of    
right for       interfering with his    
exercise of freedom4 ,the only bounds to
 the       liberty of an individual are 
such as mark the liberty of another1    
or the rights of the community4 ,god    
himself treats as sacred1 and           
therefore as inviolable1 the freedom of 
the human soul4       ',mormonism'      
contends that no man or nation possesses
 the right to       forcibly deprive    
even the heathen of his right to worship
 his       deity4 ,though idolatry has  
been marked from the earliest ages      

with the seal of divine disfavor1 it may
 represent in the       benighted mind  
the sincerest reverence of which the    
person is       capable4 ,he should be  
taught better1 but never compelled4     
,there       is no claim of universal   
forgiveness2 no unwarranted             
glorification of ,mercy to the degrading
 or neglect of ,justice2 no             
thought that a single sin of omission or
 of commission shall fail       to leave
 its wound or scar4 ,in the great future
 there shall be       found a place for 
every soul1 whatever his grade of       
spiritual       intelligence may        
be4--,the ,philosophy of ,mormonism3    
,the ,author1       in ,improvement     
,era1 vol4 iv1 pp4 #ejb-ejd4            
,,lecture ,,xxiii4    ,,submission ,,to 
,,secular ,,authority4         ,article 
#ab4--,we believe in being subject to   
kings1 presidents1       rulers1 and    
magistrates1 in obeying1 honoring1 and  
sustaining the       law4      #a4      
,introductory4--,it is but reasonable to

 expect of a people  professing the     
,gospel of ,christ1 and claiming        
membership in the one  accepted and     
divinely invested ,church1 that they    
manifest in practice  the virtues which 
their precepts inculcate4 ,true1 we may 
look in vain  for perfection among those
 even who make the fullest and most     
justifiable claims to orthodoxy2 but we 
have a right to expect in  their creed  
ample requirements concerning the most  
approved course of  action1 and in their
 lives1 sincere and earnest effort      
toward the  practical realization of    
their professions4 ,religion1 to be of  
service  and at all worthy of           
acceptance1 must be of wholesome        
influence in the  individual lives and  
the temporal affairs of its adherents4  
,among  other virtues1 the ,church in   
its teachings should impress the duty of
  a law-abiding course2 and the people  
should show forth the effect of  such   
precepts in their excellence as citizens
 of the nation1 and as  individuals in  

the community of which they are part4   
#b4 ,the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of   
,latter-day ,saints makes emphatic      
declaration of its belief and precepts  
regarding the duty of its  members      
toward the laws of the land2 and        
sustains its position by the  authority 
of specific revelation in ancient as in 
present times4  ,moreover1 the people   
are confident1 that when the true story 
of their  rise and progress as an       
established body of religious worshipers
 is  written1 the loyalty of the ,church
 and the patriotic devotion of its      
members will be vindicated and extolled 
by the world in general1 as  now are    
these virtues recognized by the few     
unprejudiced investigators  who have    
studied with honest purpose the history 
of this remarkable  organization4    #c4
 ,obedience to ,authority ,enjoined by  
,scripture4--,during the  patriarchal   
period1 when the head of the family     
possessed virtually  the power of judge 
and king over his household1 the        

authority of the  ruler and the rights  
of the family were respected4 ,consider 
the  instance of ,hagar1 the plural wife
 of ,abram1 and the handmaid of  ,sarai4
 ,jealousy and ill-feeling had arisen   
between ,hagar and her  mistress1 the   
senior wife of the patriarch4 ,abram    
listened to the  complaint of ,sarai1   
and1 recognizing her authority over     
,hagar1 who1  though his wife1 was still
 the servant of ,sarai1 said3--,behold  
thy  maid is in thy hand2 do to her as  
it pleaseth thee4 ,then1 as the         
mistress dealt harshly with her servant1
 ,hagar fled into the  wilderness2 there
 she was visited by an angel of the     
,lord1 who  addressed her thus3--,hagar1
 ,sarai's maid1 whence camest thou1 and 
whither wilt thou go8 ,and she said1 ,i 
flee from the face of my  mistress      
,sarai4 ,and the angel of the ,lord said
 unto her1 ,return to thy  mistress1 and
 submit thyself under her hands4#abba   
,observe that the  heavenly messenger   
recognized the authority of the mistress

 over the  bond-woman1 even though the  
latter had been given the rank of       
wifehood  in the family4      #abba     
,gen4 xvi1 #a-i4 ,see ,jesus the        
,christ1 p4 #cig1 ,note #f4    #d4 ,the 
ready submission of ,isaac to the will  
of his father1 even to  the extent of   
offering his life#abbb on the altar of  
bloody  sacrifice1 is evidence of the   
sanctity with which the authority of the
  family ruler was regarded4 ,it may    
appear1 as indeed it has been  claimed1 
that the requirement which the ,lord    
made of ,abraham as a test  of faith1 in
 the matter of giving his son's life as 
a sacrifice1 was a  violation of        
existing laws1 and therefore opposed to 
stable  government4 ,the claim is poorly
 placed in view of the fact1 that the   
patriarchal head was possessed of       
absolute authority over the members  of 
his household1 the power extending even 
to judgment of life or  death4#abbc     
#abbb ,gen4 xxii1 #a-aj4      #abbc ,see
 ,gen4 xxxviii1 #bd4    #e4 ,in the days

 of the exodus1 when ,israel were ruled 
by a theocracy1  the ,lord gave divers  
laws and commandments for the government
 of ,his  chosen people2 among them we  
read3--,thou shalt not revile the gods1 
nor curse the ruler of thy people4#abbd 
,judges were appointed by  ,divine      
direction to exercise authority amongst 
,israel4 ,moses1 in  reiterating the    
,lord's commands1 charged the people to 
this  effect3--,judges and officers     
shalt thou make thee in all thy gates1  
which the ,lord thy ,god giveth thee1   
throughout thy tribes2 and they  shall  
judge the people with just              
judgment4#abbe      #abbd ,exo4 xxii1   
#bh4 ,the word gods in this passage is  
rendered    by some translators judges4 
7,see marginal reference1 ,bible47 ,see 
,jesus the ,christ1 p4 #eja1 ,note #h4  
#abbe ,deut4 xvi1 #ah2 see also i1 #af2 
,i ,chron4 xxiii1 #d2 xxvi1 #bi4    #f4 
,when the people wearied of ,god's      
direct control1 and clamored for  a     
king1 the ,lord yielded to their desire1

 and gave the new ruler  authority by a 
holy anointing4#abbf ,david1 even though
 he had been  anointed to succeed ,saul 
on the throne1 recognized the sanctity  
of the  king's person1 and bitterly     
reproached himself because on one       
occasion  he had mutilated the robe of  
the monarch4 ,true1 ,saul was at that   
time  seeking ,david's life1 and the    
latter sought only a means of showing   
that he had no intent to kill his royal 
enemy2 yet we are told3--,that  ,david's
 heart smote him1 because he had cut off
 ,saul's skirt4 ,and he  said unto his  
men1 ,the ,lord forbid that ,i should do
 this thing unto  my master1 the ,lord's
 anointed1 to stretch forth mine hand   
against  him1 seeing he is the anointed 
of the ,lord4#abbg      #abbf ,i ,sam4  
viii1 #f-g1 #bb2 ix1 #ae-af2 x1 #a4     
#abbg ,i ,sam1 xxiv1 #e-f1 #aj2 see also
 xxvi1 #i-ab1 #af4    #g4 ,note1        
further1 the following scriptural       
adjurations as recorded  in the ,old    
,testament3--,my son1 fear thou the     

,lord1 and the  king4#abbh ,i counsel   
thee to keep the king's commandment1 and
 that  in regard of the oath of         
,god4#abbi ,curse not the king1 no not  
in  thy thought4#abcj      #abbh ,prov4 
xxiv1 #ba4      #abbi ,eccles4 viii1 #b4
      #abcj ,eccles4 x1 #bj4 ,note #e4  
#h4 ,examples ,set by ,christ and ,his  
,apostles4--,our ,savior's work on      
earth was marked throughout by ,his     
acknowledgment of the existing  powers  
of the land1 even though the authority  
had been won by cruel  conquest1 and was
 exercised unjustly4 ,when the          
tax-collector called  for the tribute   
money demanded by the hierarchy1        
,christ1 though not  admitting the      
justice of the claim1 directed that the 
tax be paid1 and  even invoked a        
miraculous circumstance whereby the     
money could be  provided4 ,of ,peter he 
asked3--,what thinkest thou1 ,simon8 of 
whom do  the kings of the earth take    
custom or tribute8 of their own         
children1  or of strangers8 ,peter saith

 unto him1 ,of strangers4 ,jesus saith  
unto  him1 ,then are the children free4 
,notwithstanding1 lest we should  offend
 them1 go thou to the sea1 and cast an  
hook1 and take up the  fish that first  
cometh up2 and when thou hast opened his
 mouth1 thou  shall find a piece of     
money3 that take1 and give unto them for
 me and  thee4#abca      #abca ,matt4   
xvii1 #bd-bg4 ,see ,jesus the ,christ1  
p4 #chb4    #i4 ,at the instigation of  
certain wicked ,pharisees1 a treacherous
  plot was laid to make ,christ appear  
as an offender against the ruling       
powers4 ,they sought to catch ,him by   
the hypocritical question1--,what       
thinkest thou8 ,is it lawful to give    
tribute unto ,csar or not8 ,his  answer 
was an unequivocal endorsement of       
submission to the laws4 ,to  ,his       
questioners ,he replied3--,shew me the  
tribute money4 ,and they  brought unto  
him a penny4 ,and he saith unto them1   
,whose is this image  and               
superscription8 ,they say unto him1     

,csar's4 ,then saith he unto  them1     
,render therefore unto ,csar the things 
which are ,csar's2 and  unto ,god the   
things that are ,god's4#abcb      #abcb 
,matt4 xxii1 #ae-ba2 see also ,mark xii1
 #ac-ag2 ,luke xx1    #bj-be4 ,see      
,jesus the ,christ1 p4 #edf4    #aj4    
,throughout the solemnly tragic         
circumstances of ,his trial and         
condemnation1 ,christ maintained a      
submissive demeanor even toward the     
chief priests and elders who were       
plotting ,his death4 ,these officers1   
however unworthy of their priestly      
power1 were nevertheless in  authority1 
and had a certain measure of            
jurisdiction in secular as in           
ecclesiastical affairs4 ,when ,he stood 
before ,caiaphas1 laden with  insult and
 accused by false witnesses1 ,he        
maintained a dignified  silence4 ,to the
 high priest's question1--,answereth    
thou nothing8 ,what  is it these witness
 against thee8 ,he deigned no reply4    
,then the high  priest added3--,i adjure

 thee by the living ,god1 that thou tell
 us  whether thou be the ,christ1 the   
,son of ,god4#abcc ,to this solemn      
adjuration1 spoken with official        
authority1 the ,savior gave an          
immediate answer2 thus recognizing the  
office of the high priest1  however     
unworthy the man4      #abcc ,matt4     
xxvi1 #eg-fd2 ,mark xiv1 #ee-fb4    #aa4
 ,a similar respect for the high        
priest's office was shown by ,paul      
while a prisoner before the tribunal4   
,his remarks displeased the high        
priest1 who gave immediate command to   
those who stood near ,paul to  smite him
 on the mouth4#abcd ,this angered the   
apostle1 and he cried  out3--,god shall 
smite thee1 thou whited wall3 for       
sittest thou to  judge me after the law1
 and commandest me to be smitten        
contrary to  the law8 ,and they that    
stood by said1 ,revilest thou ,god's    
high  priest8 ,then said ,paul1 ,i wist 
not1 brethren1 that he was the high     
priest3 for it is written1 ,thou shalt  

not speak evil of the ruler of  thy     
people4#abce      #abcd ,see ,note #a4  
#abce ,acts xxiii1 #a-e4    #ab4        
,teachings of the ,apostles4--,paul1    
writing to ,titus1 who had been  left in
 charge of the ,church among the        
,cretans1 warns him of the  weaknesses  
of his flock1 and urges him to teach    
them to be orderly and                  
law-abiding3--,put them in mind to be   
subject to principalities and  powers1  
to obey magistrates1 to be ready to     
every good work4#abcf ,in  another      
place1 ,paul is emphatic in declaring   
the duty of the ,saints  toward the     
civil power1 such authority being       
ordained of ,god4 ,he  points out the   
necessity of secular government1 and the
 need of  officers in authority1 whose  
power will be feared by evil-doers only4
  ,he designates the civil authorities  
as ministers of ,god2 and justifies     
taxation by the state1 with an          
admonition that the ,saints fail not in 
their dues4      #abcf ,titus iii1 #a4  

#ac4 ,these are his words addressed to  
the ,church at ,rome3--,let every  soul 
be subject unto the higher powers4 ,for 
there is no power but of  ,god3 the     
powers that be are ordained of ,god4    
,whosoever therefore  resisteth the     
power1 resisteth the ordinance of ,god3 
and they that  resist shall receive to  
themselves damnation4 ,for rulers are   
not a  terror to good works1 but to the 
evil4 ,wilt thou then not be afraid of  
the power8 do that which is good1 and   
thou shalt have praise of the  same3    
,for he is the minister of ,god to thee 
for good4 ,but if thou do  that which is
 evil1 be afraid2 for he beareth not the
 sword in vain3  for he is the minister 
of ,god1 a revenger to execute wrath    
upon him  that doeth evil4 ,wherefore ye
 must needs be subject1 not only for    
wrath1 but also for conscience sake4    
,for1 for this cause pay ye  tribute    
also3 for they are ,god's ministers1    
attending continually  upon this very   
thing4 ,render therefore to all their   

dues3 tribute to  whom tribute is due2  
custom to whom custom2 fear to whom     
fear2 honor  to whom honor4#abcg        
#abcg ,rom4 xiii1 #a-g4    #ad4 ,in a   
letter to ,timothy1 ,paul teaches that  
in the prayers of the  ,saints1 kings   
and all in authority should be          
remembered1 adding that  such           
remembrance is pleasing in the sight of 
,god3--,i exhort  therefore1 that1 first
 of all1 supplications1 prayers1        
intercessions1  and giving of thanks1 be
 made for all men2 ,for kings1 and for  
all that  are in authority2 that we may 
lead a quiet and peaceable life in all  
godliness and honesty4 ,for this is good
 and acceptable in the sight of  ,god   
our ,savior4#abch      #abch ,i ,tim4   
ii1 #a-c4    #ae4 ,the duty of willing  
submission to authority is elaborated in
 the  epistles to the ,ephesians and the
 ,colossians2 and illustrations are     
applied to the relations of social and  
domestic life4 ,wives are taught  to be 
submissive to their husbands1--,for the 

husband is the head of  the wife1 even  
as ,christ is the head of the church2   
but this duty  within the family is     
reciprocal1 and therefore husbands are  
instructed  as to the manner in which   
authority ought to be exercised4        
,children  are to obey their parents2   
yet the parents are cautioned against   
provoking or otherwise offending their  
little ones4 ,servants are told  to     
render willing and earnest service to   
their masters1 recognizing in  all      
things the superior authority2 and      
masters are instructed in their  duty   
toward their servants1 being counseled  
to abandon threatening and  other harsh 
treatment1 remembering that they also   
will have to answer  to a ,master       
greater than themselves4#abci      #abci
 ,eph4 v1 #bb-bc2 vi1 #a-i2 ,col4 iii1  
#ah-bb2 iv1 #a4    #af4 ,peter is not   
less emphatic in teaching the sanctity  
with which  the civil power should be   
regarded2#abdj he admonishes the ,saints
 in  this wise3--,submit yourselves to  

every ordinance of man for the  ,lord's 
sake3 whether it be to the king1 as     
supreme2 or unto governors1  as unto    
them that are sent by him for the       
punishment of evil doers1  and for the  
praise of them that do well4 ,for so is 
the will of ,god1  that with well doing 
ye may put to silence the ignorance of  
foolish  men3 as free1 and not using    
your liberty for a cloak of             
maliciousness1  but as the servants of  
,god4 ,honor all men4 ,love the         
brotherhood4 ,fear  ,god4 ,honor the    
king4#abda      #abdj ,see ,note #b4    
#abda ,i ,peter ii1 #ac-ag4    #ag4     
,these general rules1 relating to       
submission to authority1 he  applies1 as
 did ,paul similarly1 to the conditions 
of domestic life4  ,servants are to be  
obedient1 even though their masters be  
harsh and  severe3--,for this is        
thankworthy1 if a man for conscience    
toward ,god  endure grief1 suffering    
wrongfully4 ,for what glory is it1 if1  
when ye  be buffeted for your faults1 ye

 take it patiently8 but if1 when you do 
well1 and suffer for it1 ye take it     
patiently1 this is acceptable with      
,god4#abdb ,wives also1 even though     
their husbands be not of their  faith1  
are not to vaunt themselves and defy    
authority1 but to be  submissive1 and to
 rely upon gentler and more effective   
means of  influencing those whose name  
they bear4#abdc ,he gives assurance of  
the judgment which shall overtake evil  
doers1 and specifies as fit  subjects   
for condemnation1 chiefly them that walk
 after the flesh in  the lust of        
uncleanness1 and despise government4    
,presumptuous are  they1 self-willed1   
they are not afraid to speak evil of    
dignities4#abdd      #abdb ,verses      
#ai-bj4      #abdc ,i ,peter iii1 #a-g4 
#abdd ,,ii ,peter ii1 #aj4    #ah4      
,doubtless there existed excellent      
reason for these explicit and  repeated 
counsels against the spirit of revolt1  
with which the  apostles of old sought  
to lead and strengthen the ,church4 ,the

 ,saints  rejoiced in their testimony of
 the truth1 that had found place in     
their hearts1--the truth that was to    
make them free1--and it would  have been
 but natural for them to regard all     
others as inferior to  themselves1 and  
to rebel against all authority of man in
 favor of  their allegiance to a higher 
power4 ,there was constant danger that  
their zeal would lead them to acts of   
indiscretion1 and thus furnish  excuse1 
if not reason1 for the assaults of      
persecutors1 who would have  denounced  
them as law-breakers and workers of     
sedition4 ,even  half-hearted submission
 to the civil powers would have been    
unwise at  least1 in view of the        
disfavor with which the new sect had    
come to be  regarded by their pagan     
contemporaries4 ,the voice of their     
inspired  leaders was heard1 therefore1 
in timely counsel for humility and      
submission4 ,but there were then1 as    
ever have there been1 weightier  reasons
 than such as rest on motives of policy1

 requiring submission  to the           
established powers4 ,such is no less the
 law of ,god than of man4  ,governments 
are essential to human existence2 they  
are recognized1  given indeed1 of the   
,lord2 and ,his people are in duty bound
 to sustain  them4    #ai4 ,book of     
,mormon ,teachings concerning the duty  
of the people as  subjects of the law of
 the land are abundant throughout the   
volume4  ,however1 as the civil and the 
ecclesiastical powers were usually      
vested together1 the king or chief judge
 being also the high priest1  there are 
comparatively few admonitions of        
allegiance to the civil  authority as   
distinct from that of the priesthood4   
,from the time of  ,nephi1 son of ,lehi1
 to that of the death of ,mosiah1--a    
period of  nearly five hundred years1   
the ,nephites were ruled by a succession
 of  kings2 during the remaining time of
 their recorded history1--more than     
five hundred years1 the people were     
subject to judges of their own          

choosing4 ,under each of these varieties
 of government1 the secular  laws were  
rigidly enforced1 the power of the state
 being supplemented  and strengthened by
 that of the ,church4 ,the sanctity with
 which the  laws were regarded is       
illustrated in the judgment pronounced  
by ,alma  upon ,nehor1 a murderer1 and a
 promoter of sedition and               
priestcraft3--,thou  art condemned to   
die1 said the judge1 according to the   
law which has  been given us by ,mosiah1
 our last king2 and they have been      
acknowledged by this people2 therefore1 
this people must abide by the  law4#abde
      #abde ,alma i1 #ad4    #bj4       
,modern ,revelation requires of the     
,saints in the present  dispensation a  
strict allegiance to the civil laws4 ,in
 a communication  dated ,august #a1     
#ahca1 the ,lord said to the            
,church3--,let no man break  the laws of
 the land1 for he that keepeth the laws 
of ,god hath no need  to break the laws 
of the land1 ,wherefore1 be subject to  

the powers  that be1 until he reigns    
whose right it is to reign1 and subdues 
all  enemies under his feet4#abdf ,at a 
later date1 ,august #f1 #ahcc1 the      
voice of the ,lord was heard again on   
this matter1 saying3--,and now1  verily 
,i say unto you concerning the laws of  
the land1 it is my will  that my people 
should observe to do all things         
whatsoever ,i command  them2 and that   
law of the land which is constitutional1
 supporting  that principle of freedom  
in maintaining rights and privileges1   
belongs to all mankind1 and is          
justifiable before me2 ,therefore1 ,i1  
the ,lord1 justify you1 and your        
brethren of my church1 in befriending   
that law which is the constitutional law
 of the land4#abdg      #abdf ,doc4 and 
,cov4 lviii1 #ba-bb4      #abdg ,doc4   
and ,cov4 xcviii1 #d-f4    #ba4 ,a      
question has many times been asked of   
the ,church and of its  individual      
members1 to this effect3--,in the case  
of a conflict between  the requirements 

made by the revealed word of ,god1 and  
those imposed  by the secular law1 which
 of these authorities would the members 
of  the ,church be bound to obey8 ,in   
answer1 the words of ,christ may be     
applied3--it is the duty of the people  
to render unto ,csar the things  that   
are ,csar's1 and unto ,god the things   
that are ,god's4 ,at the  present time1 
the ,kingdom of ,heaven as an earthly   
power1 with a  reigning ,king exercising
 direct and personal authority in       
temporal  matters1 has not been         
established upon the earth2 the branches
 of the  ,church as such1 and the       
members composing the same1 are subjects
 of  the several governments within     
whose separate realms the ,church       
organizations exist4 ,in this day of    
comparative enlightenment and  freedom1 
there is small cause for expecting any  
direct interference  with the rights of 
private worship and individual devotion2
 in all  civilized nations the people   
are accorded the right to pray1 and this

  right is assured by what may be       
properly called a common law of         
human-kind4 ,no earnest soul is cut off 
from communion with his ,god2  and with 
such an open channel of communication1  
relief from burdensome  laws and redress
 for grievances may be sought from the  
,power that  holds control of nations4  
#bb4 ,pending the over-ruling by        
,providence in favor of religious       
liberty1 it is the duty of the ,saints  
to submit themselves to the laws  of    
their country4 ,nevertheless1 they      
should use every proper method1  as     
citizens or subjects of their several   
governments1 to secure for  themselves  
and for all men the boon of freedom in  
religious duties4 ,it  is not required  
of them to suffer without protest       
imposition by  lawless persecutors1 or  
through the operation of unjust laws2   
but  their protests should be offered in
 legal and proper order4 ,the ,saints   
have practically demonstrated their     
acceptance of the doctrine that it  is  

better to suffer evil than to do wrong  
by purely human opposition  to unjust   
authority4 ,and if by thus submitting   
themselves to the laws  of the land1 in 
the event of such laws being unjust and 
subversive of  human freedom1 the       
,saints be prevented from doing the work
 appointed  them of ,god1 they are not  
to be held accountable for the failure  
to  act under the higher law4 ,the word 
of the ,lord has been given  explicitly 
defining the position and duty of the   
people in such a  contingency3--,verily1
 verily1 ,i say unto you1 that when ,i  
give a  commandment to any of the sons  
of men1 to do a work unto my name1 and  
those sons of men go with all their     
might1 and with all they have1 to       
perform that work1 and cease not their  
diligence1 and their enemies  come upon 
them1 and hinder them from performing   
that work2 behold1 it  behoveth me to   
require that work no more at the hands  
of those sons of  men1 but to accept of 
their offerings2 ,and the iniquity and  

transgression of my holy laws and       
commandments1 ,i will visit upon the    
heads of those who hindered my work1    
unto the third and fourth  generation1  
so long as they repent not and hate me1 
saith the ,lord  ,god4#abdh      #abdh  
,doc4 and ,cov4 cxxiv1 #di-ej2 see ,note
 #c4    #bc4 ,an ,illustration of such  
suspension of ,divine law is found in   
the  action of the ,church regarding the
 matter of plural or polygamous         
marriage4 ,the practice referred to was 
established as a result of  direct      
revelation1#abdi and many of those who  
followed the same felt  that they were  
divinely commanded so to do4 ,for ten   
years after plural  marriage had been   
introduced into ,utah as a ,church      
observance1 no law  was enacted in      
opposition to the practice4 ,beginning  
with #ahfb1  however1 ,federal statutes 
were framed declaring the practice      
unlawful  and providing penalties       
therefor4 ,the ,church claimed that     
these  enactments were unconstitutional1

 and therefore void1 inasmuch as they   
violated the provision in the national  
constitution which denies the           
government power to make laws respecting
 any establishment of  religion1 or     
prohibiting the free exercise           
thereof4#abej ,many  appeals were taken 
to the national court of final resort1  
and at last  a decision was rendered    
sustaining the anti-polygamy laws as    
constitutional and therefore binding4   
,the ,church1 through its chief         
officer1 thereupon discontinued the     
practice of plural marriage1 and        
announced its action to the world2      
solemnly placing the responsibility  for
 the change upon the nation by whose    
laws the renunciation had been  forced4 
,this action has been approved and      
confirmed by the official  vote of the  
,church in conference assembled4#abea   
#abdi ,doc4 and ,cov4 cxxxii4      #abej
 ,article ,i1 of the ,amendments to the 
,constitution of the    ,united ,states4
      #abea ,see ,note #d4    #bd4      

,teachings of the ,church               
,today4--,perhaps there can be presented
  no better summary of the teachings of 
the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of        
,latter-day ,saints regarding its       
relation to the civil power1 and the    
respect due to the laws of the land1    
than the official declaration of  belief
 which was issued by the ,prophet       
,joseph ,smith1 and which has  been     
incorporated in the ,doctrine and       
,covenants1--one of the standard  works 
of the ,church1 adopted by vote of the  
,church as one of the  accepted guides  
in faith1 doctrine1 and practice4#abeb  
,it reads as  follows3--      #abeb     
,doc4 and ,cov4 cxxxiv4      ,,of       
,,governments ,,and ,,laws ,,in         
,,general4    #a4 ,we believe that      
governments were instituted of ,god for 
the benefit  of man1 and that he holds  
men accountable for their acts in       
relation  to them1 either in making laws
 or administering them1 for the good and
  safety of society4    #b4 ,we believe 

that no government can exist in peace1  
except such laws  are framed and held   
inviolate as will secure to each        
individual the  free exercise of        
conscience1 the right and control of    
property1 and  the protection of life4  
#c4 ,we believe that all governments    
necessarily require civil officers  and 
magistrates to enforce the laws of the  
same1 and that such as will  administer 
the law in equity and justice1 should be
 sought for and  upheld by the voice of 
the people 7if a republic71 or the will 
of the  sovereign4    #d4 ,we believe   
that religion is instituted of ,god1 and
 that men are  amenable to him1 and to  
him only1 for the exercise of it1 unless
 their  religious opinions prompt them  
to infringe upon the rights and         
liberties of others2 but we do not      
believe that human law has a right  to  
interfere in prescribing rules of       
worship to bind the consciences  of men1
 nor dictate forms for public or private
 devotion2 that the  civil magistrate   

should restrain crime1 but never control
 conscience2  should punish guilt1 but  
never suppress the freedom of the soul4 
#e4 ,we believe that all men are bound  
to sustain and uphold the  respective   
governments in which they reside1 while 
protected in their  inherent and        
inalienable rights by the laws of such  
governments2 and  that sedition and     
rebellion are unbecoming every citizen  
thus  protected1 and should be punished 
accordingly2 and that all  governments  
have a right to enact such laws as in   
their own judgment  are best calculated 
to secure the public interest1 at the   
same time1  however1 holding sacred the 
freedom of conscience4    #f4 ,we       
believe that every man should be honored
 in his station3 rulers  and magistrates
 as such1 being placed for the          
protection of the  innocent1 and the    
punishment of the guilty2 and that to   
the laws1 all  men owe respect and      
deference1 as without them peace and    
harmony would  be supplanted by anarchy 

and terror2 human laws being instituted 
for  the express purpose of regulating  
our interests as individuals and        
nations1 between man and man1 and divine
 laws given of heaven1  prescribing     
rules on spiritual concerns1 for faith  
and worship1 both  to be answered by man
 to his ,maker4    #g4 ,we believe that 
rulers1 states1 and governments have a  
right1 and  are bound to enact laws for 
the protection of all citizens in the   
free  exercise of their religious       
belief2 but we do not believe that they 
have a right in justice1 to deprive     
citizens of this privilege1 or          
proscribe them in their opinions1 so    
long as a regard and reverence  are     
shown to the laws1 and such religious   
opinions do not justify  sedition nor   
conspiracy4    #h4 ,we believe that the 
commission of crime should be punished  
according to the nature of the offense2 
that murder1 treason1 robbery1  theft1  
and the breach of the general peace1 in 
all respects1 should  be punished       

according to their criminality1 and     
their tendency to evil  among men1 by   
the laws of that government in which the
 offense is  committed2 and for the     
public peace and tranquillity1 all men  
should  step forward and use their      
ability in bringing offenders against   
good  laws to punishment4    #i4 ,we do 
not believe it just to mingle religious 
influence with civil  government1       
whereby one religious society is        
fostered1 and another  proscribed in its
 spiritual privileges1 and the          
individual rights of  its members as    
citizens1 denied4    #aj4 ,we believe   
that all religious societies have a     
right to deal with  their members for   
disorderly conduct according to the     
rules and  regulations of such          
societies1 provided that such dealing be
 for  fellowship and good standing2 but 
we do not believe that any religious    
society has authority to try men on the 
right of property or life1 to  take from
 them this world's goods1 or to put them

 in jeopardy of  either life or limb1   
neither to inflict any physical         
punishment upon  them2 they can only    
excommunicate them from their society1  
and  withdraw from them their           
fellowship4    #aa4 ,we believe that men
 should appeal to the civil law for     
redress of  all wrongs and grievances1  
where personal abuse is inflicted1 or   
the  right of property or character     
infringed1 where such laws exist as     
will protect the same2 but we believe   
that all men are justified in  defending
 themselves1 their friends1 and         
property1 and the government1  from the 
unlawful assaults and encroachments of  
all persons1 in times  of exigency1     
where immediate appeal cannot be made to
 the laws1 and  relief afforded4    #ab4
 ,we believe it just to preach the      
gospel to the nations of the  earth1 and
 warn the righteous to save themselves  
from the corruption  of the world2 but  
we do not believe it right to interfere 
with bond  servants1 neither preach the 

gospel to1 nor baptize them1 contrary to
  the will and wish of their masters1   
nor to meddle with or influence  them in
 the least1 to cause them to be         
dissatisfied with their  situations in  
this life1 thereby jeopardizing the     
lives of men2 such  interference we     
believe to be unlawful and unjust1 and  
dangerous to  the peace of every        
government allowing human beings to be  
held in  servitude4      ,,notes4       
#a4 ,insults to ,paul and to            
,christ4--,see ,acts xxiii1 #a-e4       
,scarcely had the apostle uttered the   
first sentence of his       defense1    
when1 with disgraceful illegality1      
,ananias ordered the       officers of  
the court to smite him on the mouth4    
,stung by an       insult so flagrant1  
an outrage so undeserved1 the naturally 
choleric temperament of ,paul flamed    
into that sudden sense of       anger   
which ought to be controlled1 but which 
can hardly be       wanting in a truly  
noble character4 ,no character can be   

perfect       which does not cherish in 
itself a deeply-seated1 though          
perfectly generous and forbearing1      
indignation against       intolerable   
wrong4 ,smarting from the blow1 ',god   
shall smite       thee1' he exclaimed1  
'thou whitewashed wall6 ,what6 ,dost    
thou sit       there judging me         
according to the ,law1 and in violation 
of law       biddest me to be smitten8' 
,the language has been censured as      
unbecoming in its violence1 and has been
 unfavorably compared       with the    
meekness of ,christ before the tribunal 
of his enemies4       ,see ,john xviii1 
#ai-bc4  ',where1' asks ,st4 ,jerome1   
'is that patience of the ,savior1       
who--as a  lamb led to the slaughter    
opens not his mouth--so gently asks the 
smiter1 ,if ,i have spoken evil1 bear   
witness to the evil2 but if well1  why  
smitest thou me8 ,we are not detracting 
from the apostle1 but  declaring the    
glory of ,god1 who1 suffering in the    
flesh1 reigns above  the wrong and      

frailty of the flesh4' ,yet we need not 
remind the reader  that not once or     
twice only did ,christ give the rein to 
righteous  anger1 and blight hypocrisy  
and insolence with a flash of holy      
wrath4  ,the bystanders seemed to have  
been startled by the boldness of ,st4   
,paul's rebuke1 for they said to him1   
',dost thou revile the high priest  of  
,god8' ,the apostle's anger had expended
 itself in that one outburst1  and he   
instantly apologized with exquisite     
urbanity and self-control4  ',i did not 
know1' he said1 'brethren1 that he is   
the high priest'2  adding that1 had he  
known this1 he would not have addressed 
to him the  opprobrious name of 'whited 
wall1' because he reverenced and acted  
upon the rule of scripture1 ',thou shalt
 not speak ill of a ruler of  thy       
people4'--,farrar1 ,the ,life and ,work 
of ,st4 ,paul1 pp4 #eci-edj4    #b4     
,peter's ,teaching's ,regarding         
,submission to ,law4--,a special duty   
of ,christians in those days was due    

respect in all things lawful1 to  the   
civil government4444 ,occasions there   
are--and none knew this  better than an 
apostle who had himself set an example  
of splendid  disobedience to unwarranted
 commands ,acts iii1 #ai1 #ca2 v1       
#bh-cb2  #dj-db--when 'we must obey ,god
 rather than men4' ,but those occasions 
are exceptional to the common rule of   
life4 ,normally1 and as a whole1  human 
law is on the side of divine order1 and1
 by whomsoever  administered1 has a just
 claim to obedience and respect4 ,it was
 a  lesson so deeply needed by the      
,christians of the day that it is taught
  as emphatically by ,st4 ,john ,john   
xix1 #aa1 and by ,st4 ,peter1 as by     
,st4 ,paul himself4 ,it was more than   
ever needed at a time when  dangerous   
revolts were gathering to a head in     
,judea2 when the hearts  of ,jews       
throughout the world were burning with a
 fierce flame of  hatred against the    
abominations of a tyrannous idolatry2   
when  ,christians were being charged    

with 'turning the world upside-down'    
,acts xvii1 #f2 when some poor          
,christian slave1 led to martyrdom or   
put to the torture1 might easily relieve
 the tension of his soul by  bursting   
into apocalyptic denunciations of sudden
 doom against the  crimes of the mystic 
,babylon2 when the heathen1 in their    
impatient  contempt1 might wilfully     
interpret a prophecy of the final       
conflagration as though it were a       
revolutionary and incendiary threat2    
and when ,christians at ,rome were1 on  
this very account1 already  suffering   
the agonies of the ,neronian            
persecution4 ,submission1  therefore1   
was at this time a primary duty of all  
who wished to win  over the heathen1 and
 to save the ,church from being         
overwhelmed in  some outburst of        
indignation which would be justified    
even to  reasonable and tolerant pagans 
as a political necessity4444 ',submit1  
therefore1' the apostle says1 'to every 
human ordinance1 for the  ,lord's sake1 

whether to the emperor as supreme the   
name king was  freely used of the       
emperor in the provinces1 or to         
governors1 as  missioned by him for     
punishment of malefactors and praise to 
well-doers2 for this is the will of     
,god1 that by your well-doing ye  should
 gag the stolid ignorance of foolish    
persons2 as free1 yet not  using your   
freedom for a cloak of baseness1 but as 
slaves of ,god4  ',honor all men' as a  
principle2 and as your habitual         
practice1 'love  the brotherhood4 ,fear 
,god4 ,honor the ,king4' ,see ,i ,peter 
ii1  #ac-ag4--;,farrar1 ,early ,days of 
,christianity1 pp4 #hi-ij4    #c4 ,the  
,law of ,god1 and the ,law of           
,man4--,the teaching of the ,church  of 
,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints   
respecting the duty of its  members in  
obeying the laws of the land wherein    
they live1 is more  comprehensive and   
definite than is that of many other     
,christian sects4  ,in ,january1 #ahii1 
an association of the free ,evangelical 

churches of  ,england officially        
published a common statement of faith in
 the form  of a new catechism4 ,touching
 the relation between church and state1 
the following formal questions and      
prescribed answers occur3--    #cf4     
,q4--,what is a free church8 ,a4--,a    
church which acknowledges none  but     
,jesus ,christ as ,head1 and1 therefore1
 exercises its right to  interpret and  
administer ,his laws without restraint  
or control by the  state4    #cg4       
,q4--,what is the duty of the church to 
the state8 ,a4--,to observe  all the    
laws of the state unless contrary to the
 teachings of ,christ1  etc4            
,according to the report of the         
committee in charge of the work of      
publication1 the catechism represents1  
directly or indirectly1 the  beliefs of 
not less1 and probably many more1 than  
sixty millions of  avowed ,christians in
 all parts of the world4    #d4         
,discontinuance of ,plural              
,marriage4--,the official act           

terminating  the practice of plural     
marriage among the ,latter-day ,saints  
was the  adoption by the ,church1 in    
conference assembled1 of a manifesto    
proclaimed by the ,president of the     
,church4 ,the language of the  document 
illustrates the law-abiding character of
 the people and the  ,church1 as is     
shown by the following                  
clause3--,inasmuch as laws have  been   
enacted by ,congress forbidding plural  
marriages1 which laws have  been        
pronounced constitutional by the court  
of last resort1 ,i  ,president ,wilford 
,woodruff hereby declare my intention to
 submit to  those laws1 and to use my   
influence with the members of the       
,church  over which ,i preside to have  
them do likewise4 ,in the course of a   
sermon immediately following the        
proclaiming of the manifesto1           
,president ,woodruff said regarding the 
action taken3--,i have done my  duty1   
and the nation of which we form a part  
must be responsible for  that which has 

been done in relation to that principle 
7i4e41 plural  marriage74    #e4 ,a     
,striking ,instance of ,submission to   
,secular  ,authority4--,governments are 
instituted of ,god1 sometimes by ,his   
direct interposition1 sometimes by ,his 
permission4 ,when the ,jews had  been   
brought into subjection by              
,nebuchadnezzar1 king of ,babylon1 the  
,lord commanded through the prophet     
,jeremiah 7xxvii1 #d-h7 that the  people
 render obedience to their conqueror1   
whom ,he called ,his  servant2 for      
verily the ,lord had used the pagan king
 to chastise the  recreant and          
unfaithful children of the covenant4    
,the obedience so  enjoined included the
 payment of taxes and extended to       
complete  submission4 ,see ,jesus the   
,christ1 p4 #efd1 ,note #b4             
,,lecture ,,xxiv4    ,,practical        
,,religion4         ,article #ac4--,we  
believe in being honest1 true1 chaste1  
benevolent1 virtuous1 and in doing good 
to all men2 indeed1 we       may say    

that we follow the admonition of        
,paul1--,we believe all       things1 we
 hope all things1 we have endured many  
things1 and hope       to be able to    
endure all things4 ,if there is anything
 virtuous1       lovely1 or of good     
report or praiseworthy1 we seek after   
these       things4      #a4 ,religion  
of ,daily ,life4--,in this article of   
their faith1 the  ,latter-day ,saints   
declare their acceptance of a practical 
religion2 a  religion that shall        
consist1 not alone of professions in    
spiritual  matters1 and belief as to the
 conditions of the hereafter1 of the    
doctrine of original sin and the        
actuality of a future heaven and  hell1 
but also1 and more particularly1 of     
present and every-day  duties1 in which 
respect for self1 love for fellow-men1  
and devotion  to ,god are the guiding   
principles4 ,religion without morality1 
professions of godliness without        
charity1 church-membership without an   
adequate responsibility as to individual

 conduct in daily life1 are  but as     
sounding brass and tinkling             
cymbals--noise without music1 the  words
 without the spirit of prayer4 ,pure    
religion and undefiled  before ,god and 
the ,father is this1 ,to visit the      
fatherless and widows  in their         
affliction1 and to keep himself         
unspotted from the  world4#abec ,honesty
 of purpose1 integrity of soul1         
individual  purity1 absolute freedom of 
conscience1 willingness to do good to   
all  men even enemies1 pure             
benevolence1--these are some of the     
fruits by  which the religion of ,christ
 may be known1 far exceeding in         
importance  and value the promulgation  
of dogmas1 and the enunciation of       
theories4  ,yet a knowledge of things   
more than temporal1 doctrines of        
spiritual  matters1 founded on          
revelation and not resting on the sands 
of man's  frail hypotheses1 are likewise
 characteristic of the true ,church4    
#abec ,james i1 #bg4    #b4 ,the        

,comprehensiveness of ,our ,faith must  
appeal to every earnest  investigator of
 the principles taught by the ,church1  
and still more to  the unprejudiced     
observer of the results as manifested in
 the course  of life characteristic of  
the ,latter-day ,saints4 ,within the    
pale of  the ,church there is a place   
for all truth1--for everything that is  
praiseworthy1 virtuous1 lovely1 or of   
good report4 ,the liberality with  which
 the ,church regards other religious    
denominations2 the  earnestness of its  
teaching that ,god is no respecter of   
persons1 but  that ,he will judge all   
men according to their deeds2 the       
breadth and  depth of its precepts      
concerning the state of immortality1 and
 the  gradations of eternal glory       
awaiting the honest in heart of all     
nations1 kindred1 and churches1         
civilized and heathen1 enlightened and  
benighted1 have been set forth in       
preceding lectures4 ,we have seen       
further1 that the belief of this people 

carries them forward1 even  beyond the  
bounds of all knowledge thus far        
revealed1 and teaches them  to look with
 unwavering confidence for other        
revelation1 truths yet to  be added1    
glories grander than have yet been made 
known1 eternities of  powers1 dominions1
 and progress1 beyond the mind of man to
 conceive or  the soul to contain4 ,we  
believe in a ,god who is ,himself       
progressive1  whose majesty is          
intelligence2 whose perfection consists 
in eternal  advancement2 the perpetual  
work of whose creation stands finished1 
yet renewed forever2#abed--;a ,being who
 has attained ,his exalted  state by a  
path which now ,his children are        
permitted to follow2 whose  glory it is 
their heritage to share4 ,in spite of   
the opposition of all  the sects1 in the
 face of direct charges of blasphemy1   
the ,church  proclaims the eternal      
truth1 ,as man is1 ,god once was2 as    
,god is1 man  may become4 ,with such a  
future1 well may man open his heart to  

the  stream of revelation1 past1        
present1 and to come2 and truthfully    
should we be able to say of every       
enlightened child of ,god1 that he      
,beareth all things1 believeth all      
things1 hopeth all things1 endureth  all
 things4#abee ,as incidental to the     
declaration of belief embodied  in this 
article of faith1 many topics relating  
to the organization1  precepts1 and     
practice of the ,church suggest         
themselves4 ,of these the  following may
 claim our present attention4      #abed
 ,bryant4      #abee ,i ,cor4 xiii1 #g4 
#c4 ,benevolence4--,benevolence is      
founded on love for fellow-men2 it      
embraces1 though it far exceeds charity1
 in the ordinary sense in  which the    
latter word is used4 ,by the ,divine    
,teacher it was placed as  second only  
to love for ,god4 ,on one occasion1     
certain ,pharisees came  to ,christ1    
tempting ,him with questions on         
doctrine1 in the hope that  they could  
entangle ,him1 and so make ,him an      

offender against the  ,jewish law4      
,their spokesman was a lawyer2 note his 
question and the  ,savior's             
answer3--,master1 which is the great    
commandment in the law8  ,jesus said    
unto him1 ,thou shalt love the ,lord thy
 ,god with all thy  heart1 and with all 
thy soul1 and with all thy mind4 ,this  
is the first  and great commandment4    
,and the second is like unto it1 ,thou  
shalt love  thy neighbor as thyself4 ,on
 these two commandments hang all the law
  and the prophets4#abef ,the two       
commandments1 here spoken of as first   
and second1 are so closely related as to
 be virtually one1 and that  one3--,thou
 shalt love4 ,he who abideth one of the 
two will abide  both4 ,for without love 
for our fellows1 it is impossible to    
please  ,god4 ,hence wrote ,john1--the  
,apostle of ,love1--,beloved1 let us    
love  one another3 for love is of ,god2 
and every one that loveth is born of    
,god1 and knoweth ,god4 ,he that loveth 
not knoweth not ,god1 for ,god is       

love4444 ,if a man say1 ,i love ,god1   
and hateth his brother1 he is a  liar2  
for he that loveth not his brother whom 
he hath seen1 how can he  love ,god whom
 he hath not seen8 ,and this commandment
 have we from him1  ,that he who loveth 
,god love his brother also4#abeg        
#abef ,matt4 xxii1 #cf-dj2 see also     
,luke x1 #be-bg4      #abeg ,i ,john iv1
 #g-h1 #bj-ba4    #d4 ,but perhaps the  
grandest and most sublime of the        
apostolic  utterances concerning the    
love that saves1 is found in the epistle
 of  ,paul to the ,saints at            
,corinth4#abeh ,in our current ,english 
translation of the ,bible1 the virtue   
which the apostle declares  superior to 
all the miraculous gifts of the ,spirit1
 and which is to  continue after all the
 rest have passed away1 is designated as
  charity2 but the original word meant  
love2 and surely ,paul had in  mind     
something grander than mere alms-giving1
 as is evident from his                 
expression3--,and though ,i bestow all  

my goods to feed the poor1 444  and have
 not charity1 it profiteth me           
nothing4#abei ,though a man  speak with 
the tongue of angels2 though he possess 
the power of  prophecy--the greatest of 
the ordinary gifts2 though he be versed 
in  knowledge and understand all        
mysteries2 though his faith enable him  
to  move mountains2 and though he give  
his all1 including even his  life1--yet 
without love is he nothing4 ,charity1 or
 alms-giving1 even  though it be        
performed with the sincerest of motives1
 devoid of all  desire for praise or    
hope of return1 is but a feeble         
manifestation of  the love that is to   
make one's neighbor as dear to him as   
himself2 the  love that suffers long2   
that envies not others2 that vaunts not 
itself2 that knows no pride2 that       
subdues selfishness2 that rejoices  in  
the truth4 ,when that which is perfect  
is come1 the gifts which  have been     
bestowed in part only will be           
superseded4 ,perfection will  then      

swallow up imperfection2 the healing    
power will then be done  away1 for no   
sickness will be there2 tongues and     
interpretations will  then cease1 for   
one pure language alone will be spoken2 
the casting  out of devils and power    
against deadly poisons will not then be 
needed1 for in heaven circumstances will
 render them unnecessary4 ,but  charity1
 which is the pure love of ,god1 never  
faileth2 it will sit  enthroned in the  
midst of the glorified throng1 clothed  
in all the  glory and splendor of its   
native heaven4#abfj ,if man would win   
eternal life1 he cannot afford to       
neglect the duty of love to his  fellow1
 for ,love is the fulfilling of the     
law4#abfa      #abeh ,i ,cor4 xiii2 see 
also ,alma xxxiv1 #bh-bi2 ,mosiah iv1   
#af-bd4      #abei ,verse #c4      #abfj
 ,orson ,pratt1 ,divine ,authenticity of
 the ,book of ,mormon1    i1 #ae-af4    
#abfa ,rom4 xiii1 #aj2 see also ,gal4 v1
 #ad2 ,i ,peter iv1 #h4    #e4          
,benevolence ,manifested by the         

,church4--,the ,church of the present   
day can point to a stupendous labor of  
benevolence already  accomplished and   
still in progress4 ,one of the most     
glorious monuments  of its work is seen 
in the missionary labor which has ever  
been a  characteristic feature of its   
activities4 ,actuated by no other       
motives  than pure love for humanity and
 a desire to fulfil the commands of ,god
  respecting such1 the ,church sends out
 every year hundreds of  missionaries to
 proclaim the gospel of eternal life to 
the world1  without money or price4     
,multitudes of these devoted servants   
have  suffered contumely and insult at  
the hands of those whom they seek to    
benefit2 and not a few have given their 
lives with the seal of the  martyr upon 
their testimony and work4 ,the charity  
that manifests  itself in material      
giving is not neglected in the ,church2 
indeed this  form of benevolence is     
impressed as a sacred duty upon every   
,latter-day ,saint4 ,while each one is  

urged to impart of his substance  to the
 needy in his individual capacity1 a    
system of orderly giving  has been      
developed within the ,church2 and of    
this some features are  worthy of       
special consideration4    #f4 ,free-will
 ,offerings4--,it has ever been         
characteristic of the  ,church and      
people of ,god1 that they take upon     
themselves the care of  the poor1 if any
 such exist among them4 ,to subserve    
this purpose1 as  also to foster a      
spirit of liberality1 kindness1 and     
benevolence1  voluntary gifts and       
free-will offerings have been asked of  
those who  profess to be living         
according to the law of ,god4 ,in the   
,church today1  a systematic plan of    
giving for the poor is in operation4    
,thus1 in  almost every ward or branch1 
an organization among the women1 known  
as  the ,relief ,society1#abfb is in    
existence4 ,its purpose is in part to   
gather from the society and from the    
members of the ,church in general1      

contributions of money and other        
property1 particularly the  commodities 
of life1 and to distribute such to the  
deserving and  needy1 under the         
direction of the local officers in the  
priesthood4  ,but the ,relief ,society  
operates also on a plan of systematic   
visitation to the houses of the         
afflicted1 extending aid in nursing1    
administering comfort in bereavement1   
and seeking in every possible  way to   
relieve distress4 ,the good work of this
 organization has won  the admiration of
 many who profess no connection with the
 ,church2 its  methods have been        
followed by other benevolent            
associations1 and the  ,society has been
 accorded a national status in the      
,united ,states4      #abfb ,see page   
#baf4    #g4 ,the ,fast ,offerings      
represent a still more general system of
  donation4 ,the ,church teaches the    
efficacy of continual prayer and of     
periodical fasting1 as a means of       
acquiring the humility that is meet  for

 ,divine approval2 and a monthly        
fast-day has been appointed for         
observance throughout the ,church4 ,for 
many years1 the first ,thursday  in each
 month was so observed2 but1 with the   
object of securing a  more general      
attendance at the fast-service1 a       
beneficial change has  been introduced1 
and at present the first ,sunday of the 
month is so  devoted4 ,the ,saints are  
asked to manifest their sincerity in    
fasting  by making an offering on that  
day for the benefit of the poor2 and1 by
  common consent1 the giving of at least
 an equivalent of the meals  omitted by 
the fasting of the family is expected4  
,these offerings may  be made in money1 
food1 or other usable commodity2 they   
are received  by the bishopric or its   
representatives1 and by the same        
authority are  distributed to the worthy
 poor of the ward or branch4 ,in these  
and in  numerous other ways do the      
,latter-day ,saints contribute of their 
substance to the needy1 realizing that  

the poor among them may be the  ,lord's 
poor2 and that1 irrespective of         
worthiness on the part of the           
recipient1 want and distress must be    
alleviated4 ,the people believe  that   
the harmony of their prayers will become
 a discord if the cry of  the poor      
accompany their supplications to the    
throne of ,grace4    #h4 ,tithing4--,the
 ,church recognizes today the doctrine  
of  tithe-paying1 similar in its general
 provision to that taught and  practiced
 of old4 ,before considering the present
 authorized practice  in this matter1 it
 may be instructive to study the ancient
 practice of  tithe-paying4 ,strictly   
speaking1 a tithe is a tenth1 and such a
  proportion of individual possessions  
appears to have been formerly  regarded 
as the ,lord's due4 ,the institution of 
tithing antedates even  the ,mosaic     
dispensation1 for we find both ,abraham 
and ,jacob paying  tithes4 ,abraham1    
returning from a victorious battle1 met 
,melchizedek  king of ,salem and priest 

of the most high ,god2 and1 recognizing 
his  priestly authority1 gave him tithes
 of all4#abfc ,jacob made a  voluntary  
vow with the ,lord to render a tenth of 
all that should come  into his          
possession4#abfd      #abfc ,gen4 xiv1  
#ah-bj2 see also ,heb4 vii1 #a-c1 #e1   
and ,alma xiii1    #ac-af4      #abfd   
,gen4 xxviii1 #bb4    #i4 ,the ,mosaic  
statutes are explicit in requiring      
tithes3--,and all  the tithe of the     
land1 whether of the seed of the land1  
or of the  fruit of the tree1 is the    
,lord's2 it is holy unto the ,lord4444  
,and  concerning the tithe of the herd1 
even of whatsoever passeth under the    
rod1 the tenth shall be holy unto the   
,lord4#abfe ,the tenth was to be  paid  
as it came1 without search for good or  
bad2 under some  conditions1 however1 a 
man could redeem the tithe by paying its
 value  in some other way1 but in such a
 case he had to add a fifth of the      
tithe4 ,the tenth of all the property in
 ,israel was to be paid to the          

,levites1 as an inheritance given in    
acknowledgment of their service in  the 
labor of the tabernacle2 and they in    
turn were to pay tithing on  what they  
received1 and this tithe of the tithe   
was to go to the  priests4#abff ,a      
second tithe was demanded of ,israel to 
be used for  the appointed              
festivals4#abfg ,it is evident1 that    
while no specific  penalty for neglect  
of the law of tithing is recorded1 the  
proper  observance of the requirement   
was regarded as a sacred duty4 ,in the  
course of the reformation by ,hezekiah1 
the people manifested their  repentance 
by an immediate payment of tithes2#abfh 
and so liberally  did they give1 that a 
great surplus accumulated2 observing    
which1  ,hezekiah enquired as to the    
source of such plenty3--,and ,azariah   
the  chief priest of the house of ,zadok
 answered him1 and said1 since the      
people began to bring the offerings into
 the house of the ,lord1 we  have had   
enough to eat1 and have left plenty2 for

 the ,lord hath  blessed his people2 and
 that which is left is this great store4
  ,nehemiah took care to regulate the   
tithe-paying of the people2#abfi  and   
both ,amos#abgj and ,malachi#abga chided
 the people for their  neglect of this  
duty4 ,through the prophet last named1  
the ,lord charged  the people with      
having robbed ,him2 but promised them   
blessings beyond  their capacity to     
receive if they would return to their   
allegiance to  ,him3 ,will a man rob    
,god8 ,yet ye have robbed me4 ,but ye   
say1 ,wherein  have we robbed thee8 ,in 
tithes and offerings4 ,ye are cursed    
with a  curse3 for ye have robbed me1   
even this whole nation4 ,bring ye all   
the  tithes into the storehouse1 that   
there may be meat in mine house1 and    
prove me now herewith1 saith the ,lord  
of hosts1 if ,i will not open you  the  
windows of heaven1 and pour you out a   
blessing1 that there shall  not be room 
enough to receive it4#abgb ,in visiting 
the ,nephites  after ,his resurrection1 

the ,savior told them of these sayings  
of  ,malachi1 repeating the words of the
 ,jewish prophet4#abgc ,the  ,pharisees1
 at the time of ,christ's ministry1 were
 particularly  scrupulous in the matter 
of tithe paying1--even to the neglect of
 the  weightier matters of the law1--and
 for this inconsistency they were       
severely rebuked by the ,master4#abgd   
#abfe ,lev4 xxvii1 #cj-cd4      #abff   
,numb4 xviii1 #ba-bh4      #abfg ,deut4 
xii1 #e-ag2 xiv1 #bb-bc4      #abfh ,,ii
 ,chron4 xxxi1 #e-f4      #abfi ,neh4 x1
 #cg2 xii1 #dd4      #abgj ,amos iv1 #d4
      #abga ,mal4 iii1 #aj4      #abgb  
,mal4 iii1 #h-aj2 see also ,,iii ,nephi 
xxiv1 #g-ab4      #abgc ,,iii ,nephi    
xxiv1 #g-aj4      #abgd ,matt1 xxiii1   
#bc2 ,luke xi1 #db4 ,see ,jesus the     
,christ1 p4    #eef4    #aj4 ,in the    
present dispensation1 the law of tithing
 has been given a  place of great       
importance2 and particular blessings    
have been promised  for its faithful    
observance4 ,this day has been called by

 the ,lord1 a  day of sacrifice1 and a  
day for the tithing of my people2 for he
 that  is tithed shall not be           
burned4#abge ,in a revelation1 given    
through  the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith1   
,july #h1 #ahch1 the ,lord has          
explicitly set  forth ,his requirement  
of the people in this matter4#abgf      
#abge ,doc4 and ,cov4 lxiv1 #bc-bd2 see 
also lxxxv1 #c4      #abgf ,doc4 and    
,cov4 cxix4 ,see the author's ,the ,law 
of the    ,tithe1 #bj pp4    #aa4       
,consecration and ,stewardship4--,the   
law of tithing1 as accepted  and        
professedly observed by the ,church     
today1 is after all but a  lesser law1  
given by the ,lord in consequence of the
 human weaknesses1  selfishness1        
covetousness1 and greed1 which prevented
 the ,saints from  accepting the higher 
principles1 according to which the      
,father would  have ,his children live4 
,specific requirements regarding the    
payment of  tithes were made through    
revelation in #ahch2 but seven years    

prior to  that time1 the voice of the   
,lord had been heard on the subject of  
consecration1#abgg or the dedication of 
all one's property1 together  with his  
time1 talents1 and natural endowments1  
to the service of ,god1  to be used as  
occasion may require4 ,this again is not
 new2 to the  present dispensation the  
law of consecration is given as a       
re-enactment2 it was recognized and     
observed with profit in olden           
times4#abgh ,but even in the apostolic  
period1 the doctrine of  consecration of
 property and common ownership was old2 
thirty-four  centuries before that time1
 the same principle had been practiced  
by  the patriarch ,enoch and his people1
 and with such success that the  ,lord  
came and dwelt with his people2 444 ,and
 the ,lord called his  people ,zion1    
because they were of one heart and one  
mind1 and dwelt in  righteousness2 and  
there was no poor among them4#abgi ,in  
each of the  instances cited1--that of  
the people of ,enoch1 and that of the   

,saints  in the early part of the       
,christian era1--we learn of the unity  
of  purpose and consequent power        
acquired by the people who lived in this
  social order2 they were of one heart  
and one mind4 ,through the  spiritual   
strength so attained1 the apostles were 
able to perform many  mighty works2#abhj
 and of ,enoch and his followers we read
 that the  ,lord took them unto         
,himself4#abha      #abgg ,doc4 and     
,cov4 xiii1 #ga4      #abgh ,acts iv1   
#cb1 #cd-ce2 see also ii1 #dd-df4       
#abgi ,pearl of ,great ,price3 ,moses   
vii1 #af-ah4      #abhj ,acts ii1 #dc4  
#abha ,see pp4 #cfb-cfc4    #ab4 ,the   
people of whom the ,book of ,mormon     
gives us record also  attained to the   
blessed state of equality1 and with     
corresponding  results4 ,the disciples1 
whom ,christ had personally             
commissioned1  taught with power1 and   
they had all things common among them1  
every  man dealing justly1 one with     
another4#abhb ,further1 we read of a    

general conversion by which the people  
came to a condition of ideal  peace2    
there were no contentions or            
disputations among them4444 ,and  they  
had all things common among them1       
therefore they were not rich  and poor1 
bond and free1 but they were all made   
free1 and partakers of  the heavenly    
gift4#abhc ,they were so blessed1 that  
of them the  prophet said3--,surely     
there could not be a happier people     
among all  the people who had been      
created by the hand of ,god4#abhd ,but  
after  nearly two centuries of this     
happy condition1 the people gave way to 
pride2 some of them yielded to a passion
 for costly apparel2 then they  refused 
to longer have their goods in common2   
and straightway many  classes came into 
existence2 dissenting sects were        
established2 and  then began a rapid    
course of disruption1 which led to the  
extinction  of the ,nephite nation4#abhe
      #abhb ,,iii ,nephi xxvi1 #ai4     
#abhc ,,iv ,nephi i1 #b-c4      #abhd   

,verse #af4      #abhe ,verse #bd1 etc4 
,see ,jesus the ,christ1 p4 #gda4       
#ac4 ,stewardship in the ,church        
,today4--,a system of unity in temporal 
matters has been revealed to the ,church
 in this day2 such is currently  known  
as the ,order of ,enoch1#abhf or the    
,united ,order1#abhg and is  founded on 
the law of consecration4 ,as already    
stated1 in the early  days of the modern
 ,church the people demonstrated their  
inability to  abide this law in its     
fulness1 and1 in consequence1 the lesser
 law of  tithing was given2 but the     
,saints confidently await the day in    
which  they will devote1 not merely a   
tithe of their substance1 but all that  
they have1 and all that they are1 to the
 service of their ,god2 a day  in which 
no man will speak of mine and thine1 but
 all things shall be  theirs and the    
,lord's4      #abhf ,doc4 and ,cov4     
lxxviii4      #abhg ,doc4 and ,cov4 civ1
 #dh4    #ad4 ,in this expectation1 they
 indulge no vague dream of communism1   

encouraging individual irresponsibility1
 and giving the idler an  excuse for    
hoping to live at the expense of the    
thrifty2 but rather1 a  calm trust that 
in the promised social order which ,god 
can approve1  every man will be a       
steward in the full enjoyment of liberty
 to do as  he will with the talents     
committed to his care2 but with the sure
  knowledge that an account of his      
stewardship will be required at his     
hands4 ,as far as the plan of this      
prospective organization has been       
revealed1 it provides that a person     
entering the order shall  consecrate to 
the ,lord all that he has1 be it little 
or much1 giving  to the ,church a deed  
of his property sealed with a covenant  
that  cannot be broken4#abhh ,the person
 thus having given his all1 is to be    
made a steward over a part of the       
property of the ,church1 according to   
his ability to use it4 ,the varying     
grades of occupation will still  exist2 
there will be laborers1 whose           

qualifications fit them best for  common
 toil2 and managers who have proved     
their ability to lead and  direct2 some 
who can serve the cause of ,god best    
with the pen1 others  with the plow2    
there will be engineers and mechanics1  
artisans and  artists1 farmers and      
scholars1 teachers1 professors1 and     
authors2--every one laboring as far as  
practicable in the sphere of  his       
choice1 but each required to work1 and  
to work where and how he  can be of the 
greatest service4 ,his stewardship is to
 be assured him  by written deed1 and as
 long as he is faithful to his charge1  
no man  can take it from him4#abhi ,of  
the proceeds of his labors1 every man   
may use as he requires for the support  
of himself and his family2 the  surplus 
is to be rendered to the ,church for    
public and general works1  and for the  
assistance of those who are worthily    
deficient4#abij ,as  further            
illustrative of the uses to which the   
surplus is to be  devoted1 we           

read3--,all children have claim upon    
their parents for  their maintenance    
until they are of age4 ,and after that  
they have  claim upon the ,church1 or in
 other words1 upon the ,lord's          
storehouse1  if their parents have not  
wherewith to give them inheritances4    
,and the  storehouse shall be kept by   
the consecrations of the ,church1 and   
widows and orphans shall be provided    
for1 as also the poor4#abia ,any        
faithful steward1 requiring additional  
capital for the improvement of  his     
work1 has a claim for such upon the     
custodians of the general  fund1 they in
 turn being held accountable for their  
management1 which  constitutes their    
stewardship4#abib ,equal rights are to  
be secured to  all4 ,the ,lord          
said3--',and you are to be equal1 or1 in
 other words1 you  are to have equal    
claims on the properties1 for the       
benefit of  managing the concerns of    
your stewardships1 every man according  
to his  wants1 and his needs1 inasmuch  

as his wants are just2 and all this for 
the benefit of the ,church of the living
 ,god1 that every man may  improve upon 
his talent1 that every man may gain     
other talents1 yea1  even an hundred    
fold1 to be cast into the ,lord's       
storehouse1 to become  the common       
property of the whole church4'#abic     
#abhh ,doc4 and ,cov4 xiii1 #cj4        
#abhi ,doc4 and ,cov4 ii1 #d-e4         
#abij ,doc4 and ,cov4 xlii1 #cb-ce4     
#abia ,doc4 and ,cov4 lxxxiii1 #d-f4    
#abib ,doc4 and ,cov4 civ1 #gj-gg4      
#abic ,doc4 and ,cov4 lxxxii1 #ag-ah4   
#ae4 ,freedom of agency is to be secured
 to every individual2 if he be          
unfaithful he will be dealt with        
according to the prescribed rules of    
church discipline4 ,a corresponding     
power of self-government will be        
exercised by the several stakes or other
 divisions of the ,church1 each  having 
independent jurisdiction over its own   
store-houses and its  affairs of        
administration1#abid all being subject  

to the general  authorities of the      
,church4 ,only the idler would suffer in
 such an  order as is here outlined2 he 
shall surely meet the results of his    
negligence4 ,against him the edict of   
the ,almighty has gone forth4 ,we  read 
in the revelations3--,thou shalt not be 
idle2 for he that is idle  shall not eat
 the bread nor wear the garments of the 
laborer4#abie  ,the idler shall not have
 place in the church except he repents  
and  mends his ways4#abif ,and the      
inhabitants of ,zion1 also1 shall       
remember their labors1 inasmuch as they 
are appointed to labor in all           
faithfulness2 for the idler shall be had
 in remembrance before the  ,lord4#abig 
#abid ,doc4 and ,cov4 li1 #aj-ah1 #ah4  
#abie ,doc4 and ,cov4 xlii1 #db2 see    
also lx1 #ac2 lxxv1 #c4      #abif ,doc4
 and ,cov4 lxxv1 #bi4      #abig ,doc4  
and ,cov4 lxviii1 #cj2 see also         
lxxxviii1 #abd4    #af4 ,social ,order  
of the ,saints4--,in view of the        
prevailing  conditions of social unrest1

 of the loud protest against existing   
systems1 whereby the distribution of    
wealth is becoming more and more        
unequal1--the rich growing richer from  
the increasing poverty of the  poor1 the
 hand of oppression resting more and    
more heavily upon the  masses1 the      
consequent dissatisfaction with         
governments1 and the  half-smothered    
fires of anarchy discernible in almost  
every  nation1--may we not take comfort 
in the ,god-given promise of a better   
plan--a plan which seeks without force  
or violence to establish a  natural     
equality1 to take the weapons of        
despotism from the rich1 to  aid the    
lowly and the poor1#abih and to give    
every man an opportunity  to live and to
 labor in the sphere to which he is     
adapted8 ,from the  tyranny of wealth1  
as from every other form of oppression1 
the truth  will make men free4 ,to be   
partakers of such freedom1 mankind must 
subdue selfishness1 which is one of the 
most potent enemies of  godliness4      

#ag4 ,the ,church teaches the necessity 
of proper social organization1  in      
harmony with the laws of the land2 the  
sanctity of the institution  and        
covenant of marriage as essential to the
 stability of society2 the  fulfillment 
of the ,divine law with respect to the  
perpetuation of the  human family2 and  
the importance of strictest personal    
purity4      #abih ,doc4 and ,cov4 xlii1
 #ci4    #ah4 ,marriage4--,the teachings
 of the scriptures concerning the       
necessity of marriage are numerous and  
explicit4 ,the ,lord ,god said1  ,it is 
not good that the man should be         
alone2#abii this comprehensive          
declaration was made concerning ,adam1  
immediately after his location  in      
,eden2 ,eve was given unto him1 and the 
man recognized the necessity  of a      
continued association of the sexes in   
marriage1 and  said3--,therefore shall a
 man leave his father and his mother1   
and  shall cleave unto his wife2 and    
they shall be one flesh4#acjj  ,neither 

of the sexes is complete in itself as a 
counterpart of ,god4 ,of  the creation  
of human kind we read3--,so ,god created
 man in his own  image1 in the image of 
,god created he him2 male and female    
created he  them4#acja ,the purpose of  
this dual creation is set forth in the  
next verse of the sacred                
narrative3--,and ,god blessed them2 and 
,god  said unto them1 ,be fruitful and  
multiply and replenish the  earth4#acjb 
,such a command would have been         
meaningless and void if  addressed to   
either of the sexes alone2 for only by  
the union of both  is the propagation of
 the species possible4 ,and without the 
power of  perpetuating his kind1 how    
insignificant would appear the glory and
  majesty of man6 ,how little can be    
accomplished by the individual  within  
the limited range of a single mortal    
existence6      #abii ,gen4 ii1 #ah4    
#acjj ,verse #bd4      #acja ,gen4 i1   
#bg2 see also v1 #b4      #acjb ,verse  
#bh2 see also ix1 #a1 #g2 ,lev4 xxvi1   

#i4    #ai4 ,grand as may seem the      
achievements of a man who is truly      
great1  the culmination of his glorious 
heritage lies in the possibility of  his
 leaving offspring from his own being to
 continue1 perchance1 the  triumphs of  
their sire4 ,and if such be true of     
mortals with respect to  the things of  
earth1 how transcendently greater is the
 power of  eternal increase1 as viewed  
in the light of revealed truth          
concerning  the un-ending progression of
 the future state6 ,truly the apostle   
was  wise when he said1 ,neither is the 
man without the woman1 neither the      
woman without the man1 in the           
,lord4#acjc      #acjc ,i ,cor4 xi1 #aa4
    #bj4 ,the ,latter-day ,saints accept
 the doctrine that marriage is          
honorable1#acjd and apply it as a       
requirement to all who are not          
prevented by physical or other          
disability from assuming the sacred     
responsibilities of the wedded state4   
,they consider1 as part of the          

birthright of every worthy man1 the     
privilege and duty to stand as the  head
 of a household1 the father of a        
posterity1 which by the blessing  of    
,god may never become extinct2 and      
equally strong is the right of  every   
worthy woman to be a wife and a mother  
in the family of mankind4  ,in spite of 
the simplicity1 reasonableness1 and     
naturalness of these  teachings1 false  
teachers have arisen among men1         
declaring the  pernicious doctrine that 
the married state is but a carnal       
necessity1  inherited by man as an      
incident of his degraded nature2 and    
that  celibacy is a mark of a higher    
state1 more acceptable in the pure      
sight of ,god4 ,concerning such the     
,lord has spoken in this day3--,whoso   
forbiddeth to marry is not ordained of  
,god1 for marriage is ordained  of ,god 
unto man 444 that the earth might answer
 the end of its  creation2 and that it  
might be filled with the measure of man1
  according to his creation before the  

world was made4#acje      #acjd ,heb4   
xiii1 #d4      #acje ,doc4 and ,cov4    
xlix4 #ae-ag4    #ba4 ,celestial        
,marriage4--,marriage1 as regarded by   
the ,latter-day  ,saints1 is ordained of
 ,god and designed to be an eternal     
relationship  of the sexes4 ,with this  
people it is not merely a temporal      
contract to  be of effect on earth      
during the mortal existence of the      
parties1 but  a solemn agreement which  
is to extend beyond the grave4 ,in the  
complete ceremony of marriage1 as       
prescribed by the ,church1 the man  and 
the woman are placed under covenant of  
mutual fidelity1 not until  death do you
 part1 but for time and for all         
eternity4 ,a contract as  far reaching  
as this1 extending not only throughout  
time1 but into the  domain of the       
hereafter1 requires for its validation  
an authority  superior to that of earth2
 and such an authority is found in the  
holy  priesthood1 which1 given of ,god1 
is eternal4 ,any power less than this1  

while perchance of effect in this life1 
is assuredly void as to the  state of   
the human soul beyond the grave4 ,as the
 ,lord has said3--,all  covenants1      
contracts1 bonds1 obligations1 oaths1   
vows1 performances1  connections1       
associations1 or expectations1 that are 
not made1 and  entered into1 and sealed1
 by the ,holy ,spirit of promise1 of him
 who is  anointed1 both as well for time
 and for all eternity1 and that too     
most holy1 by revelation1 and           
commandment1 through the medium of mine 
anointed1 whom ,i have appointed on the 
earth to hold this power1 444  are of no
 efficacy1 virtue1 or force1 in and     
after the resurrection  from the dead2  
for all contracts that are not made unto
 this end1 have  an end when men are    
dead4#acjf ,and1 as touching the        
application of  the principle of earthly
 authority for things of earth1 and     
eternal  authority for things beyond the
 grave1 to the sacred contract of       
marriage1 the revelation                

continues3--,therefore1 if a man marry  
him a  wife in the world1 and he marry  
her not by me1 nor by my word1 and he   
covenant with her so long as he is in   
the world1 and she with him1  their     
covenant and marriage are not of force  
when they are dead1 and  when they are  
out of the world2 therefore they are not
 bound by any  law when they are out of 
the world2 ,therefore1 when they are out
 of  the world1 they neither marry1 nor 
are given in marriage2 but are          
appointed angels in heaven1 which angels
 are ministering servants1 to  minister 
for those who are worthy of a far more1 
and an exceeding1 and  an eternal weight
 of glory2 ,for these angels did not    
abide my law1  therefore they cannot be 
enlarged1 but remain separately and     
singly1  without exaltation in their    
saved condition1 to all eternity1 and   
from  henceforth are not ,gods1 but are 
angels of ,god1 for ever and  ever4#acjg
      #acjf ,doc4 and ,cov4 cxxxii1 #g4 
#acjg ,doc4 and ,cov4 cxxxii1 #ae-ag4   

,see ,the ,house of the ,lord1    p4    
#aja4    #bb4 ,this system of holy      
matrimony1 involving covenants as to    
time  and eternity1 is known            
distinctively as ,celestial             
,marriage1--the order  of marriage that 
exists in the celestial worlds4 ,the    
sacred ordinance  of celestial marriage 
is permitted to those members of the    
,church only  who are adjudged worthy of
 participation in the special blessings 
of  the ,house of the ,lord2 for this   
ordinance1 together with others of      
eternal validity1 is to be performed in 
the temples which are reared  and       
dedicated for such holy service4#acjh   
,children who are born of  parents thus 
married are natural heirs to the        
priesthood2 children of  the covenant   
they are called2 they require no        
ceremony of adoption or  sealing to     
insure them place in the posterity of   
promise4 ,but the  ,church sanctions    
marriages for earthly time only1 and    
bestows upon  such the seal of the      

priesthood1 among those who are not     
admitted to  the temples of the ,lord1  
or who voluntarily prefer the lesser and
  temporal order of matrimony4          
#acjh ,doc4 and ,cov4 cxxiv1 #cj-dj4    
#bc4 ,unlawful ,associations of the     
,sexes have been designated by the      
,lord as among the most heinous of sins2
 and the ,church today regards          
individual purity in the sexual relation
 as an indispensable  condition of      
membership4 ,the teachings of the       
,nephite prophet1 ,alma1  concerning the
 enormity of offences against virtue and
 chastity1 are  accepted by the         
,latter-day ,saints without             
modification2 and such are  to the      
effect3--,that these things are an      
abomination in the sight of  the ,lord2 
yea1 most abominable above all sins1    
save it be the shedding  of innocent    
blood1 or denying the ,holy ,ghost4#acji
 ,the  command3--,thou shalt not commit 
adultery1--once written by the  finger  
of ,god amid the thunders and lightnings

 of ,sinai1 has been  renewed as a      
specific injunction in these the last   
days2 and the  penalty of               
excommunication has been prescribed for 
the offender4#acaj  ,moreover1 the ,lord
 regards any approach to sexual sin as  
inconsistent  with the professions of   
those who have received the ,holy       
,spirit1 for  ,he has declared that he  
that looketh on a woman to lust after   
her1 or  if any shall commit adultery in
 their hearts1 they shall not have the  
,spirit1 but shall deny the faith4#acaa 
#acji ,alma xxxix1 #e4      #acaj ,doc4 
and ,cov4 xlii1 #bd1 #hj-hc2 lxiii1     
#af-ag4      #acaa ,doc4 and ,cov4      
lxiii1 #af2 see also xlii1 #bc4    #bd4 
,sanctity of the ,body4--,the ,church   
counsels its members that each  regard  
his body as the temple of ,god2#acab and
 that he maintain its  purity and       
sanctity as such4 ,he is taught that the
 ,spirit of the ,lord  dwells not in    
unclean tabernacles2 and that1          
therefore1 he is required  to live      

according to the laws of health1 which  
constitute part of the  law of ,god4    
,for the special guidance of ,his       
,saints1 the ,lord has  revealed a ,word
 of ,wisdom#acac unto the people2 in    
accordance with  which they are         
counseled to eat wholesome food only2 to
 abstain from  strong drink1 hot drinks1
 and all kinds of stimulants and        
narcotics2  to eat flesh but sparingly1 
and to maintain in all respects a       
healthful state of the physical         
organism4 ,and1 on condition of their   
compliance with these behests1 the      
,saints have been promised1 that all    
,who remember to keep and do these      
sayings1 walking in obedience to  the   
commandments1 shall receive health in   
their navel1 and marrow in  their bones1
 and shall find wisdom and great        
treasures of knowledge1  even hidden    
treasures2 and shall run and not be     
weary1 and shall walk  and not faint2   
,and ,i1 the ,lord1 give unto them a    
promise1 that the  destroying angel     

shall pass by them1 as the children of  
,israel4#acad      #acab ,i ,cor4 iii1  
#af2 see also vi1 #ai2 ,,ii ,cor4 vi1   
#af2 ,doc4 and    ,cov4 xciii1 #ce4     
#acac ,doc4 and ,cov4 lxxxix2 read the  
revelation entire4      #acad ,doc4 and 
,cov4 lxxxix1 #ah-ba4      ,,notes4     
#a4 ,love1 the ,fulfilling of the       
,law4--,peter says1 ',above all         
things have fervent love charity among  
yourselves' ,i ,peter iv1       #h4     
,above all things4 ,and ,john goes      
farther1 ',god is love' ,i       ,john  
iv1 #h4 ,and you remember the profound  
remark which ,paul       makes          
elsewhere1 ',love is the fulfilling of  
the law' ,rom4 xiii1       #aj2 ,gal4 v1
 #ad4 ,did you ever think what he meant 
by that8 ,in       those days men were  
working their passage to heaven by      
keeping       the ten commandments1 and 
the hundred and ten other commandments  
which they had manufactured out of them4
 ,christ said1 ,i will show       you a 
more simple way4 ,if you do one thing1  

you will do these       hundred and ten 
things without ever thinking about them4
 ,if you       love1 you will           
unconsciously fulfil the whole law4444  
,take any of       the commandments1    
',thou shalt have no other gods before  
me4' ,if a       man love ,god you will 
not require to tell him that4 ,love is  
the       fulfilling of that law4 ',take
 not his name in vain4' ,would he       
ever dream of taking his name in vain if
 he loved him8 ',remember       the     
,sabbath day to keep it holy4' ,would he
 not be too glad to       have one day  
in seven to dedicate more exclusively to
 the object       of his affection8     
,love would fulfil all these laws       
regarding ,god4       ,and so if he     
loved man1 you would never think of     
telling him to       honor his father   
and mother4 ,he could never do anything 
else4 ,it       would be preposterous to
 tell him not to kill4 ,you could only  
insult him if you suggested that he     
should not steal1--how could       he   

steal from those he loved8 ,it would be 
superfluous to beg him       not to bear
 false witness against his neighbor4 ,if
 he loved him       it would be the last
 thing he would do4 ,and you would never
 dream       of urging him not to covet 
what his neighbors had4 ,he would       
rather they possessed it than himself4  
,in this way ',love is the              
fulfilling of the law4'--,drummond3 ,the
 ,greatest ,thing in the       ,world4  
#b4 ,charity and ,love4--,according to  
the etymology and original       usage1 
beneficence is the doing well1          
benevolence the wishing       or willing
 well to others2 but benevolence has    
come to include       beneficence and to
 displace it4444 ,charity1 which        
originally       meant the purest love  
for ,god and man 7as in ,i ,cor4 xiii71 
is now       almost universally applied 
to some form of alms-giving and is      
much more limited in meaning than       
benevolence4--,standard                 
,dictionary4         ,charity means     

properly1 love1 and hence acts of       
kindness4 ,the       word never occurs  
in the ,old ,testament2 in the ,new     
,testament it       is always1 with one 
exception1 synonymous with love1 and in 
every       case the love of man toward 
his fellow man1 and to that which is    
good 7see especially ,i ,cor4 xiii74    
,the 'feasts of charity' in       ,jude 
#ab1 are commonly understood to be the  
agap1 or       'love-feasts1' which were
 prevalent in the early church1 and     
which consisted in a simple fraternal   
meeting for worship1 and an             
equally simple social repast4--,bible   
,dictionary1 ,cassell4         ,charity 
is only a little bit of love2 one of the
 innumerable       avenues of love1 and 
there may even be1 and there is a great 
deal       of charity without love4 ,it 
is a very easy thing to toss a copper   
to a beggar on the street2 it is        
generally an easier thing than       not
 to do it4444 ,we purchase relief from  
the sympathetic feelings       roused by

 the spectacle of misery1 at the        
copper's cost4 ,it is       too         
cheap--too cheap for us1 and often too  
dear for the beggar4       ,if we really
 loved him1 we would either do more for 
him or       less4--,drummond3 ,the     
,greatest ,thing in the ,world4         
#c4 ,man's ,relationship to             
,god4--',mormonism' claims an actual    
and literal relationship of parent and  
child between the ,creator       and    
man--not in the figurative sense in     
which the engine may be       called the
 child of its builder2 not the          
relationship of a thing                 
mechanically made to the maker thereof2 
but the connection       between father 
and offspring4 ,in short it is bold     
enough to       declare that man's      
spirit being the offspring of ,deity1   
and man's       body though of earthy   
components yet being in the very image  
and       likeness of ,god1 man even in 
his present degraded--aye1 fallen       
condition--still possesses1 if only in a

 latent state1 inherited       traits1  
tendencies and powers that tell of his  
more than royal       descent2 and that 
these may be developed so as to make    
him1 even       while mortal1 in a      
measure ,godlike4         ,but          
',mormonism' is bolder yet4 ,it asserts 
that in accordance       with the       
inviolable law of organic nature--that  
like shall beget       like1 and that   
multiplication of numbers and           
perpetuation of       species shall be  
in compliance with the condition 'each  
after his       kind1' the child may    
achieve the former status of the parent1
 and       that in his mortal condition 
man is a ,god in embryo4 ,however far   
in the future it may be1 what ages may  
elapse1 what eternities       may pass  
before any individual now a mortal being
 may attain the       rank and sanctity 
of godship1 nevertheless man carries in 
his       soul the possibilities of such
 achievement2 even as the crawling      
caterpillar or the corpse-like chrysalis

 holds the latent       possibility1    
nay1 barring destruction in an earlier  
stage1 the       certainty indeed1 of   
the winged imago in all the glory of    
maturity4         ',mormonism' claims   
that all nature1 both on earth and in   
heaven1       operates on a plan of     
advancement2 that the very ,eternal     
,father       is a progressive ,being2  
that his perfection1 while so complete  
as       to be incomprehensible by man1 
possesses this essential quality        
of true perfection--the capacity of     
eternal increase4 ,that       therefore1
 in the far future1 beyond the horizon  
of eternities       perchance1 man may  
attain the status of a ,god4 ,yet this  
does not       mean that he shall be    
then the equal of the ,deity we worship1
 nor       that he shall ever overtake  
those intelligences that are already    
beyond him in advancement2 for to assert
 such would be to argue       that there
 is no progression beyond a certain     
stage of       attainment1 and that     

advancement is a characteristic of low  
organization and inferior purpose alone4
 ,we believe that there       was more  
than the sounding of brass or the       
tinkling of wordy       cymbals in the  
fervent admonition of the ,christ to his
       followers--',be ye therefore     
perfect1 even as your ,father which is  
in heaven is perfect4'--,the ,philosophy
 of ,mormonism3 ,the       ,author1 in  
,improvement ,era1 vol4 iv1 pp4         
#dfd-dfe4          ,,appendix4          
,note4--,in view of the expressed wish  
of the ,church authorities1 by  whose   
direction this work is published1 that  
the ,lectures on the  ,articles of      
,faith be used as a text-book and work  
of reference in  the various theological
 organizations of the ,church1 a series 
of  questions and suggestive exercises1 
for the work of class review1 is        
herewith presented4      ,,lecture ,i4  
,introductory4    #a4 ,what is          
,theology8 7,state1 #a1 derivation of   
the word2 #b1 extent of  the science47  

#b4 ,compare ,theology and ,religion4   
#c4 ,define the ,articles of ,faith4    
7,give3--#a1 circumstance of their      
origin1 see note1 p4 #bd2 #b1 their     
readoption by the ,church2 #c1 their    
necessary incompleteness as an          
expression of our belief47    #d4 ,name 
the standard works of the ,church4      
#e4 ,state the principal incidents      
connected with the parentage1  birth1   
and youth of the ,prophet ,joseph       
,smith4    #f4 ,give the circumstances  
of ,joseph ,smith's prayerful search for
  truth4    #g4 ,describe his first     
vision4    #h4 ,what prominent feature  
of modern sectarian teaching1 regarding 
the personality of the ,father and ,his 
,son1 ,jesus ,christ1 was disproved  by 
this vision8    #i4 ,how was ,joseph's  
statement of his vision received by     
sectarian  teachers of that time8       
#aj4 ,describe the visitations of       
,moroni to ,joseph ,smith4 7,give3--#a1 
dates2 #b1 most important messages      
delivered by the angel47    #aa4        

,describe the re-establishment of the   
,church through the ministry  of ,joseph
 ,smith in the present dispensation4    
#ab4 ,relate the circumstances of the   
martyrdom of ,joseph and his  brother   
,hyrum4--7,doc4 and ,cov4 cxxxv47       
#ac4 ,show the importance of the ,divine
 authenticity of ,joseph ,smith's       
calling1 in respect to the claims made  
for the ,church of ,jesus ,christ  of   
,latter-day ,saints4    #ad4 ,summarize 
the evidence of ,divine authority in the
 work  accomplished by ,joseph ,smith4  
#ae4 ,give instances of the fulfillment 
of ancient prophecy in his  work4       
#af4 ,show the ,divine source of ,joseph
 ,smith's authority in the  priesthood4 
#ag4 ,show the validity of the claim    
made1 that he was a true prophet4       
7,give3--#a1 the ,lord's test of a true 
prophet2 #b1 give instances of          
important prophecies uttered by ,joseph 
,smith and already fulfilled47          
,,lecture ,,ii1 ,,article #a4    ,god   
and the ,godhead4    #a4 ,show that the 

exercise of faith in ,god is dependent  
upon a  knowledge of ,his existence4    
#b4 ,state what you know of the general 
belief of mankind as to the  existence  
of ,god4    #c4 ,summarize the evidence 
on which our belief in the existence of 
,god is founded4    #d4 ,give evidence  
drawn from human history and tradition4 
#e4 ,show how the exercise of reason    
affords evidence of the same4    #f4    
,give the evidence of revelation 7#a1   
instances recorded in the  ,bible2 #b1  
,book of ,mormon instances2 #c1 examples
 from modern  revelation74    #g4 ,show 
that the ,godhead is a ,trinity4    #h4 
,what do you understand by the          
scriptural declarations concerning  the 
unity of the ,godhead8    #i4 ,give     
evidence of the personality of each     
member of the ,godhead  7with scriptural
 references74    #aj4 ,summarize the    
most important of the ,divine attributes
 as  attested by scripture4    #aa4     
,define3--#a1 ,idolatry2 #b1 ,atheism2  
#c1 ,theism1 with its varied            

modifications4    #ab4 ,show that       
atheism is of comparatively modern      
development4    #ac4 ,show that a belief
 in ,god is natural and necessary       
amongst  human-kind4 7,see pp4 #di1     
#ec47    #ad4 ,in what way does the     
idolatry of heathen nations support a   
belief in the existence of ,god8    #ae4
 ,show the close relationship between   
atheism and immaterialism4              
,,lecture ,,iii1 ,,article #b4          
,transgression4    #a4 ,give the        
principal scriptural proofs of man's    
free agency 7quote  evidence from each  
of the standard works of the ,church74  
#b4 ,show that man's accountability for 
his acts is just1 in view of  his rights
 of free agency4    #c4 ,what is sin8   
7#a1 ,compare wilful sins with those    
committed in  ignorance2 #b1 give       
scriptural evidence of the ,lord's plan 
of dealing  in the two cases47    #d4   
,show that punishment for sin is        
ordained of ,god4    #e4 ,give a        
statement of scriptural teachings       

regarding the duration  of punishment in
 the hereafter4 7,state the ,lord's     
definition of  endless and eternal      
punishment47    #f4 ,give scriptural    
proofs of the personality of ,satan 7#a1
 his former  position in heaven2 #b1 his
 title before his fall2 #c1 his         
expulsion  from heaven2 #d1 his present 
opposition to the purposes of ,god2 #e1 
his  predicted fate74    ,the ,fall4    
#g4 ,describe the condition of our first
 parents in ,eden4    #h4 ,what         
important commands were given them by   
the ,lord8    #i4 ,give the scriptural  
statements concerning ,satan tempting   
,eve4    #aj4 ,show that ,adam          
understood the nature of his act in     
partaking of  the forbidden fruit4      
#aa4 ,what is known of the ,tree of     
,life in the ,garden of ,eden8    #ab4  
,show that the expulsion of our first   
parents from ,eden was a  necessity     
after their transgression4    #ac4 ,what
 were the immediate results of the      
,fall8    #ad4 ,give scriptural proof   

that the ,fall was necessary and        
fore-ordained4    #ae4 ,show that       
mortality is a blessed heritage to      
mankind4    #af4 ,state the doctrine of 
the ,atonement as declared to ,adam     
after  the ,fall4    #ag4 ,describe the 
joy of ,adam and ,eve when they learned 
of the effect  of the ,fall and the     
,atonement provided4      ,,lecture     
,,iv1 ,,article #c4    ,the ,atonement  
and ,salvation4    #a4 ,define atonement
 in its scriptural usage4 7,compare its 
meaning  with that of reconciliation1 as
 the latter term occurs in the ,new     
,testament47    #b4 ,state what you know
 of the nature of the ,atonement4    #c4
 ,show that the ,atonement is a         
necessary sequence of the ,fall4    #d4 
,what is meant by a vicarious sacrifice8
 7,give scriptural  instances of such as
 recorded in the ,old ,testament47      
#e4 ,show that ,christ's sacrifice was1 
#a1 vicarious2 #b1 voluntary on  ,his   
part2 #c1 love inspired4    #f4 ,give   
scriptural proofs 7from each of the     

standard works7 that the  ,atonement was
 fore-ordained and fore-told4    #g4    
,show3--#a1 the general1 and #b1 the    
individual effect of the  ,atonement    
amongst mankind4    #h4 ,define3--#a1   
salvation2 #b1 exaltation4    #i4 ,name 
the ,degrees of ,glory in their order1  
as revealed of ,god4    #aj4 ,give a    
summary of the scriptural descriptions  
of3--#a1 the  ,celestial kingdom of     
glory2 #b1 the ,terrestrial2 #c1 the    
,telestial4      ,,lecture ,v1 ,,article
 #d4    ,faith4    #a4 ,state the nature
 of faith4    #b4 ,define the terms     
faith1 belief1 and knowledge1 in their  
relation to one another4    #c4 ,give   
scriptural instances of belief in       
,christ1 which had no  saving power4    
#d4 ,what do you regard as the essential
 foundation of faith in ,god8    #e4    
,give ,joseph ,smith's summary of facts 
respecting the character and  attributes
 of ,god4    #f4 ,show how misplaced    
faith may result from false evidence4   
#g4 ,what is meant by the statement that

 faith is a principle of  power8 7,give 
scriptural instances47    #h4 ,prove    
that faith is essential to salvation4   
#i4 ,show from the scriptures that faith
 is a gift from ,god4    #aj4 ,show that
 faith1 to be effective1 must be        
accompanied by good  works4             
,repentance4    #aa4 ,what is meant by  
true repentance8    #ab4 ,state the     
conditions under which forgiveness of   
sins is  promised4    #ac4 ,prove that  
repentance is essential to salvation4   
#ad4 ,show that repentance is a gift    
from ,god4    #ae4 ,how may this gift be
 lost or forfeited8    #af4 ,what       
evidence have we that repentance is     
possible in the  hereafter8    #ag4     
,give a summary of the teachings of     
,amulek regarding the danger  of        
procrastination in the matter of        
repentance4      ,,lectures ,,vi ,,and  
,,vii1 ,,article #d4    ,baptism4    #a4
 ,state what you know of the earliest   
revelation from ,god regarding  baptism4
    #b4 ,what is the special purpose of 

baptism8 7,give proofs1 #a1 from the    
,bible2 #b1 from the ,book of ,mormon2  
#c1 from modern revelation47    #c4 ,who
 are fit subjects for ,baptism8    #d4  
,show that infant baptism is            
unscriptural 7#a1 that it is            
unsustained by the ,bible2 #b1 that it  
is forbidden in the ,book of  ,mormon1  
and by modern revelation74    #e4 ,give 
a brief account of the history of infant
 baptism4    #f4                        
,define3--,pedobaptists2 ,anabaptists4  
7,give derivation of the  terms and     
their present meanings47    #g4 ,prove  
by scriptural evidence that baptism is  
essential to  salvation 7#a1 from the   
,bible2 #b1 from the ,book of ,mormon2  
#c1 from the  ,doctrine and ,covenants74
    #h4 ,why was ,christ's baptism a    
necessity8    #i4 ,give a summary of the
 reasons upon which the ,latter-day     
,saints  base their belief that         
immersion is the only true mode of      
baptism4    #aj4 ,show what evidence is 
furnished by the derivation of the word 

baptize1 and its early usage4    #aa4   
,show how the symbolism of the baptismal
 rite is best preserved  by immersion4  
#ab4 ,give scriptural and other         
historical evidence that immersion is   
the only form sanctioned by the ,lord4  
#ac4 ,give the revealed formula for     
baptism 7#a1 among the ,nephites2 #b1   
in the present dispensation74    #ad4   
,under what conditions may baptism be   
repeated on the same  person8    #ae4   
,give instances of re-baptism mentioned 
in scripture1 and  allowed in the       
present dispensation1 showing the       
special or  exceptional nature of such  
repetitions of the ordinance4    #af4   
,show the impropriety of repeated       
baptisms of the same person4    #ag4    
,demonstrate the necessity of baptism   
for the dead4    #ah4 ,what evidence    
have we that the gospel is preached to  
the dead8    #ai4 ,cite scriptural      
predictions of ,christ's ministry       
amongst the  dead4    #bj4 ,prove that  
the vicarious work of the living for the

 dead in the  last dispensation was     
fore-told4    #ba4 ,show that the       
authority for this labor has been       
already given to  the ,church4    #bb4  
,explain the two-fold nature of this    
vicarious labor for the  dead4    #bc4  
,what is a temple8    #bd4 ,give a brief
 account of ancient temples accepted by 
the ,lord4    #be4 ,describe the work of
 temple-building already accomplished by
 the  ,church in the present            
dispensation4      ,,lecture ,,viii1    
,,article #d4    ,the ,holy ,ghost4     
#a4 ,cite biblical promises concerning  
the advent of the ,holy ,ghost4    #b4  
,give other scriptural proof 7#a1 from  
the ,book of ,mormon2 #b1 from  the     
record of modern revelation71 that the  
,holy ,ghost is to minister  unto all   
who have been properly baptized4    #c4 
,give the principal names and titles by 
which the ,holy ,ghost is  described in 
scripture4    #d4 ,what is the special  
office of the ,holy ,ghost as a member  
of the  ,godhead8    #e4 ,give          

scriptural proofs of the ,holy ,ghost's 
personality4    #f4 ,describe the office
 of the ,holy ,ghost in ,his            
ministrations among  men4    #g4 ,to    
whom is the ,holy ,ghost promised8      
#h4 ,give instances of the ,holy        
,ghost's ministrations unto sincere     
believers who had not been baptized2    
explain such exceptional  instances4    
#i4 ,describe the ordinance of          
conferring the ,holy ,ghost in the case 
of those who have been baptized4    #aj4
 ,show that the authoritative laying-on 
of hands was a feature of  the ordinance
 in former days 7#a1 among the ,jews2   
#b1 among the  ,nephites74    #aa4 ,to  
which order of priesthood does the      
authority to confer the  ,holy ,ghost   
belong8 7,give scriptural proofs47      
#ab4 ,show that the imposition of hands 
by those in authority is  characteristic
 of other ordinances in the ,church4    
#ac4 ,what is meant by ,gifts of the    
,spirit8      ,,lecture ,,ix1 ,,in      
,,connection ,,with ,,article #d4       

,the ,sacrament of the ,lord's ,supper4 
#a4 ,define the term sacrament in its   
general and specific uses4    #b4       
,describe the institution of the        
,sacrament by the ,savior 7#a1 among    
the ,jews2 #b1 among the ,nephites74    
#c4 ,who are fit partakers of the       
,sacrament8    #d4 ,cite scriptural     
caution3 #a1 against partaking of the   
,sacrament  unworthily2 #b1 against     
knowingly administering it to the unfit4
    #e4 ,what is the purpose of the     
,sacrament8    #f4 ,what did ,christ    
administer as the emblems of ,his body  
and blood8    #g4 ,what justification   
has the ,church for using water instead 
of wine  under certain conditions8      
#h4 ,give the prescribed prayers of     
consecration3 #a1 for the bread2 #b1    
for the wine or water4    #i4 ,what     
grade of authority in the priesthood is 
requisite in  consecrating the          
sacramental emblems8    #aj4 ,what      
relationship exists between the         
,sacrament and the ,jewish  ,passover8  

,,lecture ,x1 ,,article #e4             
,authority in the ,ministry4    #a4     
,give scriptural examples of men who    
were called of ,god by special          
revelation or by personal ministration3 
#a4 before the ,meridian of  ,time2 #b1 
in the days of ,christ2 #c1 in the      
apostolic period2 #d1 in the            
,dispensation of the ,fulness of ,times4
    #b4 ,in what manner is the          
priesthood conferred8    #c4 ,name the  
principal holders of the priesthood from
 ,adam to ,moses4    #d4 ,cite instances
 of ,god's disapproval of unauthorized  
ministrations4 7,give the circumstances 
in the following cases3 #a1  ,korah and 
his associates2 #b1 ,miriam and ,aaron2 
#c1 ,uzza2 #d1 ,saul2 #e1  ,uzziah2 #f1 
sons of ,sceva47    #e4 ,give scriptural
 predictions concerning false teachers  
who would  arise4    #f4 ,prove the     
existence of the priesthood in the      
,church today4    #g4 ,give an account  
of the restoration of3 #a1 the ,aaronic1
 and1 #b1  the ,melchizedek priesthood1 

in the present dispensation4            
,fore-ordination and ,pre-existence4    
#h4 ,how was the fact of fore-ordination
 made known to ,abraham8    #i4 ,give   
scriptural proofs of ,christ's          
fore-ordination as the  ,redeemer of    
mankind4    #aj4 ,cite other scriptures 
supporting the doctrine of              
fore-ordination  7#a1 ,new ,testament2  
#b1 ,book of ,mormon74    #aa4 ,show    
that fore-ordination does not infringe  
upon free agency4    #ab4 ,give         
scriptural proofs of the pre-existence  
of spirits4      ,,lecture ,,xi1        
,,article #f4    ,church ,organization4 
#a4 ,what is the ,church8 7,sustain your
 definition by scriptural  records47    
#b4 ,what is meant by the ,primitive    
,church8    #c4 ,what evidence have you 
that a general apostasy from the        
,primitive  ,church occurred8    #d4    
,show by the scriptures that this       
apostasy was fore-told4 7,give          
evidence3 #a1 from the ,old ,testament2 
#b1 from the ,new ,testament2 #c1  from 

the ,book of ,mormon47    #e4 ,show that
 the restoration of the ,church to earth
 was fore-told4    #f4 ,define          
priesthood4    #g4 ,name the principal  
orders of priesthood as revealed4    #h4
 ,what relationship exists between the  
,aaronic and the ,levitical  priesthood8
    #i4 ,name the special offices in the
 ,aaronic priesthood1 in order1  with a 
statement of the specific duties and    
authority of each4    #aj4 ,name the    
special offices in the ,melchizedek     
priesthood1 in  order1 describing the   
authority and duties of each4    #aa4   
,describe the constitution and authority
 of each of the following  presiding    
quorums in the priesthood3--#a1 ,the    
,first ,presidency2 #b1  ,the ,quorum of
 the ,twelve ,apostles2 #c4 ,the        
,presiding ,quorum of ,seventy2  #d1    
,the ,presiding ,bishopric4    #ab4     
,define branch1 ward1 and stake1 as used
 to designate  divisions of the ,church4
    #ac4 ,explain the constitution1     
authority1 and special duties of3--#a1  

,stake ,presidency2 #b1 ,standing ,high 
,council2 #c1 ,ward ,bishopric4    #ad4 
,what ordination in the priesthood is   
requisite in the case of  members of the
 presiding organizations last named8    
#ae4 ,define quorum in its special sense
 as used by the ,latter-day  ,saints4   
#af4 ,what is a ,patriarch8 7#a4 ,define
 in this connection the term            
evangelist2 #b4 show in what respect    
succession to the presiding  patriarchal
 office differs from that in other      
offices and callings in  the            
priesthood47    #ag4 ,name the auxiliary
 organizations which operate as helps in
  government within the ,church4    #ah4
 ,give the special duties of each of    
these4 7,named on p4 #baf47    #ai4     
,show how the principle of common       
consent is observed in  appointments to 
office within the ,church4              
,,lecture ,,xii1 ,,article #g4          
,spiritual ,gifts4    #a4 ,show that the
 existence of spiritual gifts has ever  
been  characteristic of the priesthood4 

#b4 ,give scriptural proof that such    
gifts will always be found in the       
,church4    #c4 ,what is a miracle8     
#d4 ,why are miracles called1 by some1  
supernatural occurrences8    #e4 ,for   
what purpose are spiritual gifts        
manifested in the ,church8    #f4 ,show 
that miraculous manifestations are not  
an infallible  indication of the        
operation of the priesthood4    #g4     
,name the spiritual gifts specifically  
mentioned in the  scriptures4    #h4    
,describe the usual manifestation       
characterizing each of the  following   
gifts1 with scriptural illustrations of 
each3--#a1 ,the gift  of tongues and    
interpretation2 #b1 of healing1 and the 
gift of faith to  be healed2 #c1 of     
visions2 #d1 of dreams2 #e1 of prophecy2
 #f1 of  revelation4    #i4 ,cite       
scriptural promises that certain        
sign-gifts of the ,spirit  shall follow 
the believer4    #aj4 ,give instances of
 miracles wrought by evil powers4       
#aa4 ,cite the predictions of ,john the 

,revelator regarding such  imitations of
 the gifts of the ,spirit1 which are to 
characterize the  work of ,god in the   
last days4    #ab4 ,what did ,christ say
 about signs and wonders that would be  
wrought by wicked men8    #ac4 ,what    
evidence have you of the existence of   
spiritual gifts in  the ,church today8  
,,lecture ,,xiii1 ,,article #h4    ,the 
,bible4    #a4 ,what position does the  
,bible occupy among the standard works  
of  the ,church8    #b4 ,what           
reservation does the ,church make in    
accepting the modern  versions of the   
,bible as the unchanged word of ,god8   
#c4 ,define ,bible4 7#a1 ,give the      
derivation of the word2 and1 #b1 its    
modern usage47    #d4 ,show that the    
division into ,old and ,new ,testaments 
is natural and  self-suggestive4    #e4 
,explain the term canon of scripture as 
applied to the ,bible4    #f4 ,explain1 
with scriptural references1 the growth  
of the ,old  ,testament from the time of
 ,moses to that of ,malachi4    #g4     

,state what you know of the language in 
which the books of the ,old  ,testament 
were originally written4    #h4 ,what is
 the ,septuagint8 7#a1 ,give the meaning
 of the term2 #b1  describe the origin  
of the book47    #i4 ,classify the books
 of the ,old ,testament as at present   
compiled4    #aj4 ,what classification  
of ,old ,testament writings was         
recognized in  the days of the ,savior's
 ministry8    #aa4 ,what is the         
,pentateuch8 7#a1 ,define the term2 #b1 
enumerate the  books comprised2 #c1     
state what you know of their authorship2
 #d1 give  an account of the copies or  
versions possessed by the ,jews and the 
,samaritans anciently47    #ab4 ,name   
the ,historical books in order4    #ac4 
,name the ,poetical books4 7,in this    
connection1 define the term             
,hagiographa47    #ad4 ,name the        
,prophetical books4 7#a1 ,in their order
 as at present  compiled2 #b1 in the    
probable order of their production47    
#ae4 ,what is meant by the ,apocrypha8  

#af4 ,what is the ,new ,testament8      
#ag4 ,give the principal historical     
evidence of investigation  regarding the
 authenticity of the ,new ,testament    
books4    #ah4 ,name and classify the   
books of the ,new ,testament4    #ai4   
,what is the ,vulgate8    #bj4 ,specify 
the principal modern versions of the    
,bible4    #ba4 ,give evidence          
supporting belief in the genuineness and
  authenticity of the ,bible4    #bb4   
,state the principal items of evidence  
from the book of ,mormon1  corroborating
 the authenticity of the ,bible4    #bc4
 ,give the important conclusions of     
biblical scholars regarding  the        
genuineness of the ,new ,testament or of
 parts thereof4    #bd4 ,give the       
principal biblical references to        
scriptures not  contained in the ,bible4
      ,,lecture ,,xiv1 ,,article #h4    
,the ,book of ,mormon4    #a4 ,what is  
the ,book of ,mormon8    #b4 ,how was   
the ancient record brought to modern    
notice8    #c4 ,what do we learn from   

the title-page of the ,book of ,mormon  
as to  the nations or peoples whose     
history is dealt with in the volume8    
#d4 ,which was the earliest of the      
nations1 mentioned in the ,book of      
,mormon1 which established itself on the
 ,american continent8    #e4 ,give an   
account of the journey of ,lehi and his 
colony from  ,jerusalem to ,america4    
7,state3 #a1 the ,divine instructions   
directing  ,lehi to leave2 #b1 time of  
this occurrence2 #c1 the course of their
  overland journey2 #d1 journey across  
the ocean2 #e1 place of landing in      
,america47    #f4 ,describe the origin  
of ,nephites and ,lamanites             
respectively4    #g4 ,who were the      
,jaredites8 7#a1 ,why so named2 #b1 time
 and manner of  their migration to this 
continent2 #c1 brief statement of their 
history47    #h4 ,how came the record of
 the ,jaredites to be incorporated with 
the  ,nephite writings8    #i4 ,what is 
known of ,mulek and his people8    #aj4 
,name the classes of plates referred to 

in the ,book of ,mormon 7#a1  on the    
title page2 #b1 elsewhere in the        
volume74    #aa4 ,state what is known of
 the plates of ,nephi 7#a1 their origin2
 #b1  the larger as distinguished from  
the smaller plates2 #c1 method by  which
 the record grew74    #ab4 ,what is     
,mormon's abridgment of the plates of   
,nephi8    #ac4 ,which of the plates of 
,nephi did ,mormon include with his own 
abridgment8    #ad4 ,what great purpose 
of the ,lord was subserved by this      
duplication  of part of the ancient     
record8    #ae4 ,describe the           
circumstances resulting in the plates   
coming into  the custody of ,joseph     
,smith 7#a1 his first information       
regarding their  existence2 #b1 his     
first view of the plates2 #c1 his four  
years of  probation2 #d1 his possession 
of the plates74    #af4 ,what other     
sacred articles were buried with the    
plates8    #ag4 ,what is meant by the   
,urim and ,thummim8    #ah4 ,what       
purpose did these instruments serve in  

the work  translation8    #ai4 ,give an 
outline of the circumstances attending  
the translation  and publication of the 
,book of ,mormon 7#a1 difficulties      
attending the  work2 #b1 date of first  
publication74    #bj4 ,what is the      
testimony of the learned regarding the  
characters of  parts of the original    
record8    #ba4 ,summarize the evidence 
of the genuineness of the ,book of      
,mormon4  7,show the distinction between
 genuineness and authenticity47    #bb4 
,who were the three witnesses to the    
genuineness of the book8  ,give an      
outline of their testimony4    #bc4     
,name the eight witnesses4 ,to what did 
they testify8    #bd4 ,what is the      
so-called ,spaulding ,story of the      
origin of the  ,book of ,mormon8 ,show  
its absurdity4    #be4 ,explain the     
arrangement of the several parts of the 
,book of  ,mormon4      ,,lecture ,,xv1 
,,article #h4    ,authenticity of the   
,book of ,mormon4    #a4 ,summarize the 
proofs of the authenticity of the ,book 

of ,mormon4    #b4 ,show that the ,book 
of ,mormon and the ,bible corroborate   
each other  in matters on which they    
treat in common4    #c4 ,demonstrate the
 fulfillment of ancient prophecy in the 
coming  forth of the ,book of ,mormon   
7#a1 of prophecies contained in the     
,pearl  of ,great ,price2 #b1 of ,old   
,testament prophecies1 specifically     
those of  ,isaiah and ,ezekiel74    #d4 
,state what you know of the consistency 
of the ,book of ,mormon in  style and   
matter4    #e4 ,give examples of ,book  
of ,mormon prophecies1 the fulfillment  
of  which is recorded therein4    #f4   
,give examples of ,book of ,mormon      
prophecies1 the fulfillment of  which   
has taken place since the closing of the
 record4    #g4 ,state what you know of 
,book of ,mormon prophecy yet awaiting  
fulfillment4    #h4 ,summarize the      
general results of modern investigation 
and  research with which the ,book of   
,mormon is in striking accord4    #i4   
,give evidence that ,america was        

inhabited at a very ancient period  7#a1
 cite the conclusions of investigators2 
and #b1 compare with the  ,book of      
,mormon account74    #aj4 ,give the     
principal evidence of the successive    
occupation of the  ,american continent  
by different peoples in ancient times1  
confirm by  the ,book of ,mormon        
account4    #aa4 ,give the principal    
conclusions of investigators concerning 
the  ,asiatic origin of the first       
colonies who came to ,america4    #ab4  
,summarize the evidence indicating their
 ,israelitish origin4    #ac4 ,state in 
a general way the traditions of         
,america's native people                
concerning3--#a1 ,the ,deluge2 #b1 the  
,divinity of ,christ1 and ,his          
crucifixion4    #ad4 ,show the          
resemblance of certain religious        
ceremonies as  practiced by the ,jews1  
and by some of the native ,american     
peoples4    #ae4 ,what evidence is      
there1 external to the ,book of ,mormon1
  indicating the common origin of all   

the ,american races8    #af4 ,confirm   
the foregoing conclusions 7#aa to #ae7  
by the ,book of  ,mormon record4    #ag4
 ,what is known of the written languages
 current among the  ,nephites8 ,in what 
language were the plates of ,nephi and  
those of  ,mormon inscribed8    #ah4    
,what external evidence is there of the 
,egyptian language having  been known   
among the ,american peoples8    #ai4    
,give evidence of the survival of the   
,hebrew language among the  native      
tribes4    #bj4 ,what test of the       
authenticity of the ,book of ,mormon is 
given by  the last of the writers8      
,,lecture ,,xvi1 ,,article #i4          
,revelation1 ,past1 ,present1 and       
,future4    #a4 ,what is revelation8    
,compare with inspiration4    #b4 ,show 
that revelation is ,god's chosen method 
of communication  through the           
priesthood4    #c4 ,what is known of    
,god's revelations to3--#a1 ,adam2 #b1  
,enoch2 #c1  ,noah2 #d1 ,abraham2 #e1   
,isaac2 #f1 ,jacob2 #g1 ,moses8    #d4  

,give examples of ,divine revelation    
through other ,old ,testament  prophets4
    #e4 ,show that ,christ was a        
revelator1 while ,he dwelt among men4   
#f4 ,give scriptural evidence of        
revelation having been given through    
the apostles of old4    #g4 ,show that  
the doctrine of continual revelation is 
reasonable4    #h4 ,show that it is     
scriptural4    #i4 ,show that continual 
revelation has ever been characteristic 
of  the operations of the priesthood4   
#aj4 ,cite the principal objections to  
this doctrine1 professedly  founded on  
scripture4 ,show their unscriptural     
foundation4    #aa4 ,give specific      
scriptures predicting that revelation is
 to  characterize the ,church in the    
last dispensation 7#a1 from the ,bible2 
#b1 from the ,book of ,mormon74    #ab4 
,give instances of modern revelation4   
,cite promises of the ,lord  in this    
dispensation assuring the continuation  
of revelation in the  ,church4    #ac4  
,show the reasonableness of expecting   

yet further revelation4    #ad4 ,show   
that the doctrine of no further         
revelation is comparatively  modern1 and
 unscriptural4    #ae4 ,show that       
inspiration does not deprive man of his 
freedom or  individuality4              
,,lecture ,,xvii1 ,,article #aj4    ,the
 ,dispersion of ,israel4    #a4 ,explain
 the term ,israel 7#a1 derivation of the
 word2 #b1 bestowal  of the title on    
,jacob2 #c1 its use as the name of      
,jacob's posterity2 #d1  as a name of   
one of the kingdoms after the division  
of the nation2 #e1  as a title of the   
chosen people of ,god in a collective   
sense74    #b4 ,give a general outline  
of the ,israelites' history from the    
time  of ,jacob receiving the name      
,israel1 to the time of the first king4 
#c4 ,outline the history of ,israel as a
 united nation under the kings4    #d4  
,state the circumstances attending the  
division of the nation4    #e4 ,outline 
the history of the kingdom of ,judah    
after the division4    #f4 ,the same of 

the kingdom of ,israel4 ,by what other  
name is this  division of the people    
sometimes known8    #g4 ,define the     
terms ,hebrew and ,jew4    #h4 ,show    
that the dispersion of ,israel was      
fore-told by their  prophets from very  
early times4    #i4 ,on what conditions 
was this dispersion predicated8    #aj4 
,cite ,book of ,mormon predictions      
concerning the dispersion4 ,state       
specifically the prophecies of ,zenos4  
,who was he8    #aa4 ,give historical   
evidences of the fulfillment of these   
prophecies  of dispersion in the case of
 the kingdom of ,judah4 ,what part did  
,nebuchadnezzar take in the work of     
dispersion8 ,at what time8 ,give an     
account of the ,babylonian captivity4   
,how did ,titus contribute to the  work 
of dispersion8    #ab4 ,give historical 
evidence of the fulfillment of prophecy 
relating  to the dispersion of the      
kingdom of ,israel4 ,how did            
,shalmanezer and  ,sargon contribute to 
the dispersion8 ,at what time8 ,show the

 literal  fulfillment of ,ahijah's      
prophecy to the wife of ,jeroboam4      
#ac4 ,explain the term ,lost ,tribes4   
#ad4 ,what is known of the journeyings  
of the ,lost ,tribe8      ,,lecture     
,,xviii1 ,,article #aj4    ,the         
,gathering of ,israel4    #a4 ,cite     
,bible promises of the gathering        
associated with predictions  of the     
dispersion2 specifically those by1 #a1  
,moses2 #b1 ,nehemiah2 #c1  ,isaiah2 #d1
 ,jeremiah2 #e1 ,ezekiel2 #f1 ,amos4    
#b4 ,give ,book of ,mormon prophecies   
regarding the gathering1  especially    
those uttered1 #a1 by ,lehi2 #b1 by     
,nephi1 his son2 #c1 by  ,christ in the 
course of ,his ministrations among the  
,nephites4    #c4 ,cite instances of    
modern revelation concerning the        
gathering4    #d4 ,what does the plan of
 the gathering of ,israel in the last   
days  comprise8    #e4 ,show that the   
authority for prosecuting the work of   
gathering has  been given to the ,church
 in this dispensation4    #f4 ,what is  

the purpose of the gathering8    #g4    
,give an account of the work as now in  
progress4    #h4 ,in what respect are   
the people of ,israel a chosen people8  
#i4 ,show how the fulfillment of the    
promise made to ,abraham1 that  through 
his descendants all nations of the earth
 should be blessed1  has been brought   
about through the dispersion of ,israel4
    #aj4 ,give another evidence of the  
fulfillment of that prediction1  based  
on the lineage of ,christ4    #aa4 ,give
 scriptural prophecies relating to the  
restoration of the  ,ten ,tribes4       
#ab4 ,show that the establishment of    
,zion is to precede the  restoration of 
the ,ten ,tribes4      ,,lecture ,,xix1 
,,article #aj4    ,zion4    #a4 ,show   
from the scriptures that two gathering  
places are to be  established in the    
last dispensation4    #b4 ,define ,zion 
7#a1 meaning of the term2 #b1 its varied
  applications74    #c4 ,give an outline
 of the history of ,jerusalem from the  
time of its  first mention in scripture 

to that of its overthrow by the ,romans4
    #d4 ,cite scriptural promises       
relating to the future glory of         
,jerusalem4    #e4 ,explain the         
application of the term ,new ,jerusalem4
    #f4 ,show from ,book of ,mormon and 
modern scripture that the ,zion of  the 
western continent and the ,new          
,jerusalem are identical4    #g4 ,cite  
the prophecy of ,christ to the ,nephites
 that a ,new ,jerusalem  shall be       
established on the western continent4   
#h4 ,give the prediction of ,ether the  
,jaredite relating to the  establishment
 of the ,new ,jerusalem4    #i4 ,what is
 meant by the ,zion of ,enoch8 7#a1     
,give outline of the  history of the    
ancient people so designated2 #b1 cite  
promises of the  return of ,enoch and   
his people47    #aj4 ,what is known     
through modern revelation as to the     
location of  ,zion or the ,new          
,jerusalem8    #aa4 ,what is meant by   
,stakes of ,zion8    #ab4 ,what         
conditions will determine the time of   

the redemption of  ,zion in the present 
dispensation8      ,,lecture ,,xx1      
,,article #aj4    ,christ's ,reign on   
,earth4    #a4 ,compare the conditions  
attending ,christ's first advent1 with  
those predicted for ,his second coming4 
#b4 ,cite scriptural prophecies         
regarding the second coming of ,christ1 
with attendant signs 7#a1 ,biblical2 #b1
 ,book of ,mormon2 #c1 modern74    #c4  
,what evidence have you to prove that   
the predicted second coming  of ,christ 
is near at hand8    #d4 ,what is known  
as to the time of his coming8    #e4    
,show by scripture that ,christ is to   
reign as ,king on earth4    #f4         
,demonstrate the relation between the   
,kingdom of ,god and the  ,church of    
,christ4    #g4 ,show the distinctive   
sense in which the ,kingdom of ,god and 
the  ,kingdom of ,heaven are spoken of  
in modern revelation4    #h4 ,what will 
be the position of honest and honorable 
men who are not  members of the ,church 
when the ,kingdom of ,heaven is         

established8    #i4 ,what is the        
,millennium8    #aj4 ,give scriptural   
authority for your belief as to the     
conditions  that are to characterize the
 ,millennium4    #aa4 ,what will be the 
condition of ,satan during and after the
  ,millennium8      ,,lecture ,,xxi1    
,,article #aj4    ,regeneration and     
,resurrection4    #a4 ,explain the      
statement that the earth is under a     
curse4    #b4 ,what is meant by the     
predicted regeneration of the earth8    
#c4 ,when will this change be completed8
    #d4 ,what is known as to the future 
condition of the earth in its           
regenerated state8    #e4 ,what is the  
attitude of science regarding the       
earth's  regeneration8    #f4 ,what is  
meant by the resurrection of the body8  
#g4 ,what are the teachings of the      
,church regarding the literalness of    
the resurrection8    #h4 ,upon what does
 our belief in the doctrine of the      
resurrection  depend8    #i4 ,give      
scriptural evidence supporting belief in

 the resurrection  7#a1 ,old ,testament2
 #b1 ,new ,testament2 #c1 ,book of      
,mormon2 #d1 modern74    #aj4 ,specify  
the general resurrections spoken of in  
the scriptures4    #aa4 ,how was the    
first resurrection inaugurated8    #ab4 
,give an account of the resurrection of 
the just immediately  following the     
resurrection of ,christ4    #ac4 ,cite  
,book of ,mormon prophecy regarding the 
resurrection of  ,christ and that of the
 righteous immediately following4       
#ad4 ,give a summary of the teachings by
 the apostles of old1  regarding the    
resurrection at the time of ,christ's   
second coming4    #ae4 ,cite modern     
revelation on the same subject4    #af4 
,compare the scriptural descriptions of 
the first resurrection1  or the         
resurrection of the just1 with those of 
the second1 or the  resurrection of the 
unjust4    #ag4 ,show that the          
resurrection is to be universal1        
applying both to  righteous and wicked4 
#ah4 ,what will be the lot of the       

heathen in the resurrection8  7,support 
your answer by scripture47    #ai4 ,what
 is known of the intermediate state of  
the soul1 between  death and the        
resurrection8    #bj4 ,define ,paradise4
 ,show that ,paradise is not the place  
of final  glory4      ,,lecture ,,xxii1 
,,article #aa4    ,religious ,liberty   
and ,toleration4    #a4 ,what is        
worship8    #b4 ,show that man's ability
 to worship rightly is a measure of his 
conception of ,god's attributes and     
powers4    #c4 ,show that worship1 to be
 valid1 must be voluntary4    #d4       
,demonstrate man's right to freedom in  
worship4    #e4 ,explain the            
intolerance1 in matters of worship1     
characterizing  early and modern times4 
#f4 ,show that intolerance is           
unscriptural4    #g4 ,demonstrate that  
tolerance is not necessarily acceptance4
    #h4 ,show that man1 being free to   
choose for himself1 is justly held      
accountable for his acts4    #i4        
,explain ,christ's expression1 ,in my   

,father's house are many  mansions4     
#aj4 ,what kingdoms or degrees of glory 
are specified in the revealed  word8    
#aa4 ,who are to inherit the ,celestial 
glory8    #ab4 ,for whom is the         
,terrestrial glory provided8    #ac4    
,who will be consigned to the ,telestial
 kingdom8    #ad4 ,what is known of the 
gradation of glory within each of the   
kingdoms specified8    #ae4 ,who are the
 ,sons of ,perdition8 ,what is known of 
their fate8      ,,lecture ,,xxiii1     
,,article #ab4    ,submission to the    
,law of the ,land4    #a4 ,what are the 
teachings of the ,church regarding the  
duties of its  members with respect to  
the secular law8    #b4 ,cite instances 
recorded in the ,old ,testament of      
,divine approval  and admonition        
regarding the secular laws4    #c4 ,give
 examples from the life of the ,savior4 
#d4 ,what were the teachings of the     
apostles of old regarding the           
observance of the law of the land by the
 members of the ,church8    #e4 ,cite   

the word of the ,lord as given through  
modern revelation  regarding the        
attitude of members of the ,church      
toward the governments  under which they
 live4    #f4 ,what has the ,lord said  
as to ,his judgment concerning those who
  are effectually prevented by their    
enemies from a strict compliance  with  
,his requirements8    #g4 ,give a modern
 instance of an abandonment by the      
,church1 under  pressure of secular law1
 of a ,divine requirement4    #h4 ,show 
that secular authority is recognized of 
,god as necessary to  the government of 
mankind1 and that the officers of the   
law are  therefore to be obeyed4    #i4 
,summarize the declarations of belief   
regarding the duty of the  ,church      
toward the law of the land1 as          
formulated by ,joseph ,smith1 and  as   
adopted by the ,church4      ,,lecture  
,,xxiv1 ,,article #ac4    ,practical    
,religion4    #a4 ,give ,james'         
definition of pure religion4    #b4     
,show that religion is not theological  

formula1 but practical  application of  
recognized principles of right4    #c4  
,what is the teaching of the ,church    
regarding man's relationship  to ,god8  
#d4 ,show that benevolence is enjoined  
by scripture4 7,give1 #a1  instances    
from the teachings of the ,savior2 #b1  
those of ,his apostles2  #c1 those of   
modern requirement47    #e4 ,specify the
 means of donation for benevolent       
purposes1 provided  by the ,church      
today4    #f4 ,outline the modern       
,church plan of1 #a1 free-will          
offerings2 #b1  fast offerings as a     
modification of the foregoing4    #g4   
,explain the advantages of fast-day     
observance1 and  fast-offerings1 among  
members of the ,church4    #h4 ,what is 
tithing8    #i4 ,cite biblical authority
 for the observance of the law of       
tithing  in ancient times4    #aj4      
,state the requirements made by         
revelation for the tithing of the       
people today4    #aa4 ,what is meant by 
consecration and stewardship8    #ab4   

,give scriptural instances of ,god's    
people having lived in the  ,united     
,order4 7,cite1 #a1 from ,pearl of      
,great ,price2 #b1 from ,bible2 #c1     
from ,book of ,mormon47    #ac4 ,explain
 the ,united ,order1 or the ,order of   
,enoch1 as provided for  the ,church    
through modern revelation4    #ad4 ,show
 that individual freedom is provided for
 in the plan of the  ,united ,order4    
#ae4 ,cite scriptural instances of the  
,lord's denunciation of the  idler4     
#af4 ,what is the teaching of the       
,church regarding the propriety and     
necessity of marriage8    #ag4 ,what has
 the ,lord said through revelation of   
those who forbid  marriage8    #ah4     
,what is ,celestial ,marriage8    #ai4  
,show that the authority of the         
priesthood is necessary in the  making  
of contracts that are to be of effect   
after the death of the  parties4    #bj4
 ,what does the ,church teach regarding 
the enormity of the sin of  unlawful    
association of the sexes8 ,cite the     

declaration of ,alma in  this           
connection4    #ba4 ,state the          
provisions of the revelation known as   
the ,word of  ,wisdom4          ,,index4
        ,aaron1 literal descendants of1 
#bad4      ,aaronic priesthood1 #bjg2   
restored to earth in this dispensation1 
#ai4      ,adam1 his part in the ,fall1 
#fh4      ,agency of man1 #ed2          
,god-given1 #gc4      ,america1 ancient 
civilization in1 #cje4      ,america1   
ancient occupation of1 #bic4            
,america1 successive occupation of1     
#bie4      ,american ,indians           
7,lamanites71 #cjj4      ,american      
peoples1 native1 ,asiatic origin1 #bif2 
common origin of all1 #cjj2             
,israelitish origin of1 #bif4           
,ancient ,americans1 traditions of1     
#cje2      written language of1 #cja4   
,ancient prophecy concerning ,book of   
,mormon1 #bhc4      ,anointed ,one      
7,christ71 #chc4      ,apocrypha1 #bdi4 
,apostasy from the ,primitive ,church1  
#bjc2      degeneracy incident to the1  

#bag2      early beginning1 #bah2       
foretold1 #bje4      ,apostle1 office   
of1 #bab4      ,apostles1 ,quorum of the
 ,twelve1 #bac4      ,appendix1 #dfc4   
,archeological evidence regarding the   
,bible1 #bfj4      ,archeology and      
ethnology1 evidence supporting ,book of 
,mormon1 #bia4      ,articles of ,faith1
 origin of1 #d1 #bd4      ,associations1
 ,mutual ,improvement1 #baf4            
,associations1 ,primary1 #baf4          
,atheism and idolatry1 #dd2             
atheism1 definition of1 #ea2      a     
fatal belief1 #ec2      atheism and     
immaterialism1 #ec4      ,atonement of  
,christ1 #gf2      a sequence of the    
,fall1 #gj1 #gg2      confidence in1    
essential to salvation1 #aaf2           
extent of1 #hg2      fore-ordained and  
foretold1 #hc2      general effect of1  
#ij2      individual effect of1 #ib2    
nature of1 #gg2      proved by evidence1
 #if2      vicarious sacrifice1 #gi2    
voluntary1 #ha4      ,attributes of     
,god1 #db1 #ajc4      ,authenticity and 

genuineness of the ,bible1 #bed4        
,authenticity of ,book of ,mormon1 #bha4
      ,authority1 ,divine1 in present   
dispensation1 #aic4      ,authority in  
the ministry1 #ahd4      ,authority1    
secular1 submission to1 #dbd4           
,baptism2 among ,greeks1 #afj2          
among ,nephites1 #adc2      early       
,christian1 #afj2      essential to     
salvation1 #acj2      establishment of1 
on earth1 #abc2      first modern1 #adc2
      fit candidates for1 #abf2 for the 
dead1 #adh2      of infants1 #abg1 #abh1
 #abi1 #acg2      meaning of the term1  
and early usage1 #aci1 #aei2      mode  
of 7by immersion71 #aci2      nature of 
the ordinance1 #abb2      preparation   
for1 #acg2      purpose of1 #abd2       
re-baptism1 #add2      repeated         
baptisms1 #adg2      required of all1   
#adh2      symbolism of1 #adj4          
,belief1 faith1 and knowledge1 #ih4     
,belief in ,god1 natural1 necessary1    
#dh-di4      ,benevolence1 #ddc4        
,bible1 acceptance of by the ,church1   

#bdj2      authenticity and genuineness 
of1 #bed2      ,book of ,mormon         
testimony concerning1 #bee2      the    
name1 #bda2      ,old ,testament1 #bdc2 
,new ,testament1 #bdi1 #beh2            
versions of1 #bec1 #beg4      ,bishop1  
the ,presiding1 #bad2      of ward1     
#bae4      ,bishopric1 ,presiding1 #bad2
      ,ward1 #bae4      ,body1 sanctity 
of1 #dei4      ,book of ,mormon1 #bfa2  
authenticity of1 #bha1      biblical    
prophecies concerning1 #bhd2            
compared with ,bible1 #bee1 #bhb2       
classification and arrangement of1 #bgd2
      consistency of1 #bhg2             
contained prophecies1 #bhh2             
divisions of1 #bfd2      external       
evidences concerning1 #bia2             
genuineness of1 #bge2      plates of1   
#aj1 #bfi2      prophecies concerning1  
#bhc2      ,spaulding ,story of1 #bgh2  
testimony of witnesses concerning1 #bgf1
 #bgg1 #bgi2      theories concerning1  
#bgh2      title page of1 #bfc1 #bgh2   
translation of1 #bgc4        ,celestial 

kingdom1 or glory1 #id1 #dag4           
,celestial marriage1 #deg4      ,charity
 and love1 #ddd1 #dfj1 #dfa4            
,children1 innocent before ,god1 #ij-ib4
      ,children and the fathers1        
mutually dependent1 #aef1 #afa4         
,chosen people1 ,israel1 #ceb1 #cee4    
,christ1 the ,anointed ,one1 #chc2      
atonement wrought by 7see ,atonement of 
,christ72      ,church of1 #cgf2        
first advent of1 #cfg2      second      
coming1 #cfg-cfh2      time of second   
coming1 #cgc2      ministry of1 among   
the dead1 #aej2      reign of1 #cfg1    
#cgd2      resurrection of1 #cif4       
,church of ,england1 teachings regarding
 ,god1 #dh4      ,church of ,christ1    
#cgf4      ,church and ,kingdom1 #cgf4  
,church1 apostasy from the primitive1   
#bjc2      apostasy from1 foretold1     
#bje2      the primitive1 #bja4         
,church organization1 plan of1 #bja2    
restoration of1 #bjf2      standard     
works of1 #e4      ,church-schools1     
#baf4      ,civil war1--predicted by    

,joseph ,smith1 #bb4      ,class review1
 exercises for1 #dfc4      ,classes1    
,religion1 #baf4      ,commandments1    
,the ,ten1--found among relics of       
ancient ,americans1          #big1 #cjc4
      ,confession necessary to          
forgiveness1 #aac4      ,consecration   
and stewardship1 #ddi4      ,continual  
revelation1 doctrine of1 #cad1 #cbd2    
alleged scriptural objections to1 #cag4 
,council1 ,standing ,high1 #bae4        
,council1 ,traveling ,high1 #bac4       
,covenants for eternity1 #deg4          
,creations1 spiritual1 #aii4            
,creed1 the ,nicene1 #dg4               
,deacon1 office of1 #bji4      ,dead1   
baptism for the1 #adh2     ,christ's    
ministry among the1 #aea2     to have   
the gospel preached to them1 #aej2      
vicarious labor in behalf of1 #aeb1     
#aef4      ,decline of spiritual gifts1 
incident to the apostasy1 #bch4         
,degrees of glory1 #id4      ,didactic  
books of ,new ,testament1 #bec4         
,discontinuance of plural marriage1     

#dce1 #ddj4      ,dispersion of ,israel1
 #cbf-cci4      ,divine authenticity of 
,book of ,mormon1 #bha4      ,dreams and
 visions1 #bbi4      ,druidical         
sacrifices1 #eb4        ,earth1 during  
and after ,millennium1 #chc2            
regeneration of1 #che2      under the   
curse1 #chd4      ,eden1 ,garden of1    
#ff1 #gd4      ,egyptian language among 
ancient ,american peoples1 #cja4        
,elders1 office of1 and quorum          
organization1 #baj4      ,elijah1       
confers authority for vicarious labor   
for dead1 #bj1 #aed4      ,enoch1 order 
of1 #dea2      ,zion of1 #ceh4          
,eternal covenants1 #deg4               
,ethnology and archeology1 testimony    
supporting ,book of ,mormon1 #bia4      
,evangelists1 or patriarchs1 #baa4      
,evidence supporting faith1 #ajd-aje4   
,exaltation and salvation1 #id4         
,external evidence regarding ,book of   
,mormon1 #bia4        ,fairchild1 ,james
 ,h41 on ,spaulding ,story1 #bgi4       
,faith1 ,articles of1 #d1 #bd4          

,faith1 a condition of1 #aji2           
compared with belief and knowledge1 #ih2
      essential to salvation1 #aaj2     
foundation of1 #ajb2      a gift from   
,god1 #aaa2      justification by1 #abj2
      nature of1 #ih2      misplaced1   
example of1 #abj2      a principle of   
power1 #ajf2      incomplete without    
works1 #aaa2      supported by evidence1
 #ajd-aje4      ,fall1 the1 #ed1 #ff2   
fore-ordained and necessary1 #ga1 #ge2  
immediate results of1 #gj4      ,false  
teachers1 prophesied of1 #aic4          
,fast-day observance1 #ddf4             
,fast-offerings1 #ddf4      ,fathers and
 children1 mutually dependent1 #aee1    
#afa4      ,final resurrection1 #dja4   
,first resurrection1 #cif-djj4          
,fore-ordination and pre-existence1     
#aie4      ,fore-ordination does not    
imply compulsion1 #aif4                 
,forgiveness of sins1 to obtain1 #aac2  
not always immediate1 #aba4             
,forgiving others their trespasses1     
#aad4      ,free agency of man1 #ed4    

,free-will offerings1 #ddf4      ,future
 revelation expected1 #cbc4             
,garden of ,eden1 #ff4      ,gathering  
of ,israel1 #cda2      extent and       
purpose of1 #cej2      two places       
appointed1 #cef2      in progress now1  
#cee2      predicted1 #cda4             
,general resurrections1 two1 #cif4      
,general salvation1 #ij4                
,genuineness and authenticity of ,bible1
 #bed2      of parts of ,new ,testament1
 #beh2      of ,book of ,mormon1 #bge4  
,ghost1 ,holy2 see ,holy ,ghost4        
,gift of ,god1 faith a1 #aaa2           
repentance a1 #aah4      ,gift of       
healing1 #bbg2      of prophecy1 #bca2  
of revelation1 #bcb2      of tongues and
 interpretation1 #bbf2      of visions  
and dreams1 #bbi4      ,gifts of the    
,spirit1 see ,spiritual gifts4          
,gifts1 spiritual1 imitation of1 #bce4  
,glory1 ,degrees of1 #id1 #daf1 #dbj2   
,celestial1 #id1 #dag2                  
,terrestrial1 #ie1 #dah2                
,telestial1 #ie1 #dai1 #dbc4      ,god  

and the ,godhead1 #bg4      ,god1       
attributes of1 #db1 #ajc2      belief   
in1 natural1 #dh2      and necessary1   
#di2      importance of belief in1 #di2 
existence of1 #bg2      evidence from   
history and tradition1 #bh2             
evidence from reason1 #cj2      evidence
 from revelation1 #ce2      in nature1  
#ej2      natural indications of1 #ej2  
personality of1 #da4      ,godhead1     
personality of each member of1 #da2     
a ,trinity1 #ch2      unity of1 #ci2    
sectarian view of1 #df4      ,gospel to 
be preached to the dead1 #aej4          
,government1 ,church1 helps in1 #baf4   
,governments1 secular1 obedience to1    
#dbd4      ,greeks1 baptism among1 #afj4
        ,hagiographa1 #bdh4      ,hands1
 imposition of1 in ordinances1 #agd1    
#ahg4      ,healing1 gift of1 #bbg4     
,heathen1 in first resurrection1 #djd4  
,hebrew language1 survival of among     
,american aborigines1 #cjb1 #cjg4       
,hebrews1 #cci4      ,helps in church   
government1 #baf4      ,high ,council1  

,the ,standing1 #bae2      ,the         
,traveling 7quorum of the ,twelve       
,apostles71 #bac4      ,high            
,priesthood1 ,president of the1 #bac4   
,high ,priest1 office of1 and quorum    
organization1 #baa2      ,presiding1    
#bac4      ,historical books1 of ,old   
,testament1 #bdh2      of ,new          
,testament1 #beb4      ,history and     
tradition1 supporting evidence of ,god's
 existence1 #bh4      ,holy ,ghost1     
bestowal of1 #agj2      effect of1 on   
the individual1 #agc2      exceptional  
visitations1 #afi2      gifts of1 see   
,spiritual ,gifts2      office of1 #afg2
      personality and powers of1 #afd2  
promised1 #afc2      scriptural titles  
of1 #da-db2      to whom given1 #afh4   
,holy ,spirit1 see ,holy ,ghost4        
,idolatry and atheism1 #dd2             
idolatry1 examples of atrocious1 #ea2   
practices in general1 #ea4              
,imitations of spiritual gifts1 #bce4   
,immaterialism and atheism1 #ec4        
,immersion1 the proper mode of baptism1 

#aci4      ,importance of belief in     
,god1 #di4      ,imposition of hands1 in
 ordinances1 #agd1 #ahg4                
,improvement ,associations1 ,mutual1    
#baf4      ,indians1 ,american          
7,lamanites71 #cjj4      ,individual    
salvation1 #ij1 #ib4      ,infant       
,baptism1 see ,baptism4                 
,inspiration and revelation1 #cjh1 #cbd4
      ,intermediate state of the soul   
7,paradise71 #dje4      ,interpretation 
of tongues1 gift of1 #bbf4              
,intolerance1 in religion1 #dji1 #dad1  
#dbb4      ,innocence of children1      
#ij-ib4      ,israel1 #cbf2 a chosen    
people1 #ceb1 #cee2      dispersion of1 
#cbf-cbh1 #cbi1 #ccb1 #cee2             
gathering of1 #cda2      gathering of1  
now in progress1 #cea1 #cee2            
kingdom of1 #cbg4        ,jaredite      
nation1 #bff4      ,jerusalem1 history  
of1 #ceh1 #cei1 #cff4      ,jerusalem1  
,the ,new 7,zion71 #cfj4      ,jews1    
#cci4      ,john the ,baptist1 conferred
 the ,aaronic priesthood1 #ai1 #aic4    

,joseph ,smith1 authenticity of his     
mission1 #ac2      authority received   
by1 #ai2      parentage1 youth1 etc41   
#f2      his first vision1 #i2          
visited by ,moroni1 #aj2                
persecution of1 #ba2      a true        
prophet1 #bj2      tribute to1 #be2     
martyrdom of1 #ac1 #be2      references 
to life of1 #bf4      ,journeyings of   
the ,ten ,tribes1 #cdj4      ,judah1    
kingdom of1 #cbg4      ,justification by
 faith alone1 dogma of1 #abj4           
,kingdom of ,god1 #cgd-cgg2      and    
,church of ,christ1 #cgf4      ,kingdom 
of ,heaven1 #cgg-cgi4      ,kingdom of  
,israel1 #cbg4      ,kingdom of ,judah1 
#cbg4      ,knowledge compared with     
faith and belief1 #ih4                  
,lamanites1 #bfe1 #bib4      ,language  
of ancient ,americans1 #cja2      of    
,book of ,mormon record1 #cja2      of  
,old ,testament original1 #bdf4         
,latter-day ,church1 #bjf4      ,laws of
 the land1 submission to1 #dbd-dch4     
,laying-on of hands1 in ordinances1     

#aga1 #agd4      ,levitical priesthood1 
#bjh4      ,life1 ,tree of1 #fh4        
,lord's ,supper1 see ,sacrament4        
,love and ,charity1 #ddd1 #dfj1 #dfa4   
,luther1 ,martin1 on ,justification by  
faith1 #aba4        ,man1 accountability
 of1 #eg1 #dae2      free agency of1    
#ed2      responsibility of1 #eg4       
,marriage1 #dee2      ,celestial1 #deg2 
plural1 discontinuance of1 #dce1 #ddj4  
,martyrdom1 seal of 7,joseph ,smith71   
#be4      ,martin ,luther1 on           
justification by faith1 #aba4           
,mayas1 sacred language of1 #cjb4       
,melchizedek priesthood1 #bjh2          
restored to earth1 #ai1 #aid4           
,members of the ,godhead1 personality of
 #da4      ,men called of ,god1 #ahd4   
,mexican traditions concerning the      
,savior1 #cjg4      ,millennium1 #cgi1  
#chc4      ,ministrations1 unauthorized1
 #ahi4      ,ministry1 authority in1    
#ahd2      ordination to1 #ahg4         
,miracles1 #bbb2      an aid to         
spiritual growth1 #bch2      testimony  

of1 not infallible1 #bcc2      wrought  
by evil powers1 #bcd4      ,missing     
,scripture1 mentioned in ,bible1 #bfj4  
,mode of baptism1 #aci4      ,modern    
revelation1 #cbj4      ,moloch1 horrible
 worship of1 #eb4      ,mormon1 ,book   
of1 see ,book of ,mormon4      ,moroni1 
the angel1 visits ,joseph ,smith1       
#aj-ab1 #bfa4      ,moses1 conferred    
authority on ,joseph ,smith1 #bj1 #cea4 
,mutual ,improvement ,associations1     
#baf4        ,nature1 ,god in1 #ej4     
,nature1 proofs from1 regarding theism1 
#ca4      ,natural indications of ,god1 
#ej4      ,naturalness of belief in     
,god1 #dh4      ,necessity of belief in 
,god1 #di4      ,nephites1 #bfd2        
baptism among1 #adc2      sacrament     
instituted among1 #agf2      visited by 
,christ1 #adc1 #agf4      ,new          
,jerusalem 7,zion71 #cfj4      ,new     
,testament1 #bdi2      authenticity and 
origin of1 #bdi2      classification of1
 #beb2      didactic books1 #bec2       
genuineness of1 #beh2      historical   

books1 #beb2      prophetical books1    
#bec4      ,nicene ,creed1 #dg4         
,obedience to law1 #dbd-ddj4            
,offerings1 fast1 #ddf2      free-will1 
#ddf2      and tithes1 #ddf-ddg4        
,ordination to the ministry1 #ahg4      
,old ,testament1 #bdc2      its origin  
and growth1 #bdc2      original language
 of1 #bdf2      ,historical books1 #bdh2
      ,pentateuch1 #bdg1 #beg2          
,poetical books1 #bdh2      ,prophetical
 books1 #bdh1 #beh2      ,septuagint    
version of1 #bdf4      ,omniscience1    
omnipotence1 and omnipresence of ,god1  
#db-dc4        ,pagan ignorance of      
resurrection1 #djc4      ,paradise1     
#dje4      ,passover and sacrament1     
#ahb4      ,patriarchs1 or evangelists1 
#baa4      ,patriarchal office1         
succession in the1 #baa4                
,pentateuch1 #bdg2      ,samaritan copy 
of the1 #beg4      ,perdition1 ,sons of1
 #fb1 #dba4      ,persecution of ,joseph
 ,smith1 #bd4      ,personality of the  
,godhead1 #da2      of the ,holy ,ghost1

 #afd4      ,peter1 ,james1 and ,john   
confer the ,melchisedek priesthood1     
#aid4      ,plates of ,book of ,mormon1 
#aj1 #bfi2      of ,nephi1 #bfi2      of
 ,mormon1 #bfi1 #bgj4      ,plural      
marriages1 discontinuance of1 #dce1     
#ddj4      ,poetical books of ,old      
,testament1 #bdh4      ,power1 through  
faith1 #ajf4      ,practical religion1  
#dda4      ,pre-existence of spirits1   
#aig4      ,presidency in the           
priesthood1 #bab4      ,presidency1 ,the
 ,first1 #bac4      ,presidency of      
,stakes1 #bae4      ,president of the   
,high ,priesthood1 #bac4      ,presiding
 ,bishopric1 #bad4      ,presiding      
quorum of ,seventy1 #bad4               
,priesthood1 ,aaronic1 #bjg2      local 
organizations of1 #bae2      ,levitical1
 #bjh2      ,melchisedek1 #bjh2         
quorum organizations of1 #bab2          
orders of1 #bjg2      restoration to    
earth1 #bjf2      specific duties in1   
#bji4      ,priests1 #baj4              
,priests1 ,high1 #baa4      ,primary    

,associations1 #baf4      ,primitive    
,church1 #bja2      apostasy from1 #bjc1
 #bje4      ,prophecy1 concerning ,book 
of ,mormon1 #bhc2      biblical1        
concerning ,book of ,mormon1 #bhd2      
gift of1 #bca4      ,prophet1 usage of  
the term1 #bcg4      ,prophets1 of old1 
organized1 #bcg4      ,prophets1 ,school
 of the1 #bcg4      ,prophetical books1 
,old ,testament1 #bdh2      ,new        
,testament1 #bec4      ,punishment for  
sin1 #fa2      duration of1 #fc2        
endless and eternal1 #fc4        ,quorum
 organizations1 #bab2      of deacons1  
#bji2      of elders1 #baj2      of high
 priests1 #baa2      of the ,first      
,presidency1 #bac2      of the ,twelve  
,apostles1 #bac2      of teachers1 #baj2
      of seventies1 #baj2      of       
seventies1 the ,presiding ,quorum of1   
#bad4      ,quorum1 special usage of    
term1 #bji4        ,reason1 supporting  
theism1 #cj4      ,re-baptism1 #ade2    
re-baptisms recorded in ,scripture1     
#adf4      ,redemption from the ,fall1  

universal1 #if2      see ,atonement4    
,regeneration of earth1 #che4           
,reign of ,christ on earth1 #cfg1 #cgd4 
,relief ,society1 ,the1 #baf4           
,religion and ,theology1 #d4            
,religion classes1 among the ,latter day
 ,saints1 #baf4      ,religion1         
practical1 #dda4      ,religious liberty
 and toleration1 #djf2      intolerance1
 #dji1 #dad1 #dbb4      ,remission of   
sins1 to obtain1 #aac      ,renewal of  
the earth1 #che4      ,repentance1      
essential to salvation1 #aag2      a    
gift from ,god1 #aah2      here and     
hereafter1 #aai2      nature of1 #aac2  
not always possible1 #aah4              
,responsibility of man1 #eg4            
,restoration of the ,church1 #bjf4      
,restoration of the ,ten ,tribes1 #cec4 
,results of the ,fall1 #gj4             
,resurrection of the body1 #cia2        
inaugurated1 #cif2      the first1 #cif2
      heathen in the first1 #djd2       
the final1 #dja2      of ,christ1 #cif2 
and the general resurrection immediately

 following1 #cif2      predicted1 #cic2 
at second coming of ,christ1 #cih2      
pagan ignorance concerning1 #djc4       
,resurrections1 two general1 of just and
 of unjust1 #cif4      ,revelation1     
#cjh2      ancient1 #caa2               
continual1 #cad2      alleged scriptural
 objections to continual revelation1    
#cag2      gift of1 #bcb2      future1  
expected1 #cbc2      ,god's means of    
communication1 #caj2      revelation and
 inspiration1 #cjh1 #cbd2      modern1  
#cbj2 supporting theism1 #ce4           
,review exercises for class1 #dfc4      
,sacrament of the ,lord's ,supper1 #age2
      errors1 concerning1 #ahc2         
emblems used in1 #agi2      fit         
partakers of1 #agg2      institution of1
 among ,jews1 #age2      among          
,nephites1 #agf2      manner of         
administering1 #ahj2      purpose of1   
#agi2      sacrament and passover1 #ahb2
      usage of term sacrament1 #ahb4    
,sadducees1 #djd4      ,salvation1      
general1 #ij2      individual1 #ij2     

and exaltation1 #id4      ,sanctity of  
the body1 #dei4      ,satan1 #eg1 #fd1  
#chb4      ,schools1 ,church1 #baf2     
,sunday1 #baf4      ,school of the      
,prophets1 #bcg4      ,scripture        
missing1 mentioned in ,bible1 #bfj4     
,seal of martyrdom1 ,joseph ,smith1 #be4
      ,secular authority1 submission to1
 #dbd-dch4      ,septuagint1 #bdf1 #beg4
      ,serpent1 curse on1 #gd4          
,seventies1 office of1 and quorum       
organization1 #baj4      ,sexes1        
unlawful association of1 #dei4          
,sin1 #ei2      commission of1 in       
ignorance1 #fj2      forgiveness for1   
#aac2      punishment for1 #fa2         
unpardonable1 #fb4      ,smith1 ,joseph1
 see ,joseph ,smith4      ,society1 the 
,relief1 #baf4      ,sons of ,perdition1
 #fb1 #dba4      ,spaulding ,story of   
the ,book of ,mormon1 #bgh4             
,spirit1 ,holy1 see ,holy ,ghost4       
,spiritual creations1 #aii4             
,spiritual gifts1 #bai2                 
characteristic of the ,church1 #bai2    

decline of1 incident to the apostasy1   
#bch2      exist in ,church today1 #bcf2
      partial enumeration of1 #bbe2     
imitations of1 #bce2      modern        
manifestations1 #bci2      nature of1   
#bbj4      ,stakes of ,zion1 #bae4      
,stake ,presidency4 #bae4      ,standard
 works of the ,church1 #e4              
,stewardship and consecration1 #ddi1    
#dej4      ,submission to laws of the   
land1 #dbd-dch4      ,succession in     
patriarchal office1 #baa4      ,sunday  
schools1 #baf4        ,teachers1 false1 
#aib4      ,teacher1 grade of1 in       
,aaronic priesthood1 #bji4              
,telestial glory1 #ie1 #dai1 #dbc4      
,temples1 ancient and modern1 #aeg4     
,temptation of ,eve1 #fg4      ,ten     
,commandments1 ,the1 found among relics 
of ancient          ,americans1 #cjc4   
,terrestrial glory1 #ie1 #dah4          
,testament1 ,new1 see ,new ,testament4  
,testament1 ,old1 see ,old ,testament4  
,testimony of miracles1 not infallible1 
#bcc4      ,theism1 modifications of1   

defined1 #ea4      ,theology1 #b2       
extent of1 #c2      importance of study1
 #a2      and religion1 #d4             
,theories of ,origin of ,book of        
,mormon1 #bgh4      ,thousand years of  
peace 7,millennium71 #cgi1 #chc4        
,time of ,christ's coming1 #cgc4        
,tithing1 law of1 #ddg1 #ddi4           
,title page of ,book of ,mormon1 #bfc4  
#bgh4      ,toleration1 religious1 #djf2
      does not imply acceptance1 #dad4  
,tongues1 gift of1 #bbf2                
interpretation of1 #bbf4      ,tradition
 and history supporting theism1 #bh4    
,traditions among ,american aborigines1 
confirming ,book          of ,mormon1   
#cje4      ,tradition1 ,mexican1        
regarding the ,savior1 #cjg4            
,transgression1 #ed4      ,translation  
of the ,book of ,mormon1 #bgc4          
,tree of ,knowledge of ,good and ,evil1 
#fh4      ,tree of ,life1 #fh4          
,tribes1 ,the ,ten1 or ,the ,lost1 #cce1
 #cch2      journeyings of1 #cdj2       
restoration of1 #cec4      ,trinity1    

,the1 #ch4        ,unauthorized         
ministrations1 #ahi4      ,united       
,order1 #dea4      ,unity of the        
,godhead1 #ci4      ,universal and      
unconditional redemption from effects of
 the          ,fall1 #if4      ,unlawful
 association of the sexes1 #dei4        
,unpardonable sin1 #fb4        ,versions
 of ,old ,testament1 #bdf4              
,versions of ,bible1 #bdf1 #bec1 #beg4  
,vicarious nature of the atonement1 #gi4
      ,visions and dreams1 #bbi4        
,ward1 organization1 and officers of1   
#bae4      ,ward ,bishopric1 #bae4      
,witnesses to ,book of ,mormon1         
,testimony of1 the ,three1 #bgf2        
the ,eight1 #bgg2      notes concerning1
 #bgi4      ,works of the ,church1      
standard1 #e4      ,written language of 
ancient ,americans1 #cja4        ,zion1 
#cef2      the name1 #ceg2      founding
 of in ,missouri1 #cff2      ,zion of   
,enoch1 #ceh2      the ,new ,jerusalem1 
#cfj4