,,the ,,strength ,,of ,,the ,,mormon ,,position4 ,by ,elder ,orson ,f4 ,whitney1 ,of the ,council of the ,twelve1 ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints4 99 99 99 99 ,upon the pinnacle of the ,temple in ,salt ,lake ,city1 there stands the gilded statue of an ,angel1 in the act of sounding a trumpet1 symbolizing the restoration and proclamation of the ,everlasting ,gospel1 in fulfillment of the ,scripture which says3 ,and ,i saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven1 having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth1 and to every nation1 and kindred1 and tongue1 and people1 ,saying with a loud voice1 ,fear ,god1 and give glory to ,him2 for the hour of ,his judgment is come4--,revelation #ad3f-g4 ,early ,christian ,annals4 ,history1 tinged with tradition1 affirms these to be the circumstances under which those words were uttered3 ,the ,savior had chosen ,twelve ,apostles1 and had commissioned them to go into all the world and preach the ,gospel to every creature4 ,obedient to the divine mandate1 they had gone forth1 and within fifty years had lifted the ,gospel standard in every considerable city of the ,roman ,empire1 which then had sway over the known world4 ,one by one the ,apostles had been taken3 ,james was slain with the sword at ,jerusalem2 ,peter was crucified1 and ,paul beheaded1 at ,rome2 all had suffered martyrdom for the word of ,god and the testimony of ,jesus--all save one1 concerning whom ,peter had inquired3 ,lord1 what shall this man do8 ,and the ,savior1 answering1 had said3 ,if ,i will that he tarry till ,i come1 what is that to thee8 7,st4 ,john #ba3ba-bb47 ,modern revelation confirms the ancient tradition that ,john1 the beloved disciple1 did not die1 but obtained a promise from the ,lord that he should remain upon earth1 not subject to death1 and bring souls to ,him4 ,he was to prophesy before nations1 kindreds1 tongues and peoples1 and continue till the ,lord came in ,his glory4 7,doctrine and ,covenants1 ,section #g47 ,an attempt was made upon ,john's life1 but it proved ineffectual4 ,he was thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil1 but escaped miraculously4 ,john on ,patmos4 ,in the ninety-sixth year of the ,christian era1 this man was on the ,isle of ,patmos1 in the ,aegean ,sea4 ,patmos was the ,roman ,siberia4 ,to that desolate place the ,empire banished its criminals1 compelling them to work in the mines4 ,john was an exile for the ,truth's sake4 ,but the ,lord had not forgotten ,his servant1 though men had rejected him and cast him out4 ,the ,heavens were opened1 and he was shown many things pertaining to the future4 ,he foresaw the apostasy of the ,christian world1 its departure from the faith once delivered to the saints1 the falling away foretold by the ,apostle ,paul 7#b ,thes4 #b3c74 ,but ,john also looked forward to a time when that faith would be restored1 and when the hour of ,god's judgment would come4 ,the dead1 small and great1 would stand before the ,great ,white ,throne1 and be judged out of the things written in the books1 every man according to his works4 7,rev4 #bj3aa-ac47 ,joseph ,smith4 ,to the ,latter-day ,saints1 these are the days of that predicted restoration1 and ,joseph ,smith was the divinely appointed agent for bringing back the ,everlasting ,gospel4 ,who was this ,joseph ,smith8 ,he was a farmer's boy1 born among the mountains of ,vermont1 ,december #bc1 #ahje1 but living with his parents in the back-woods of western ,new ,york1 when his career as a prophet began4 ,he had been much exercised upon the subject of his soul's salvation1 a religious revival having recently occurred in his neighborhood4 ,the ministers of the various sects united in calling upon the people to repent2 each one urging them to join his particular congregation1 and disputing among themselves upon points of doctrine and authority4 ,the situation bewildered the boy1 who was an honest seeker after light1 anxious to know the true ,church1 in order that he might join it4 ,one day while reading the ,scriptures1 he chanced upon the following passage3 ,if any of you lack wisdom1 let him ask of ,god1 that giveth to all men liberally1 and upbraideth not2 and it shall be given him4 7,james #a3e47 ,profoundly impressed by these sacred words1 he resolved to test the promise by asking from ,god the wisdom of which he stood in need4 ,with that object in view1 he retired to the woods near his father's home1 and knelt in prayer4 ,no sooner had he begun to pray1 than he was seized upon by a power which filled his soul with horror and paralyzed his tongue so that he could no longer speak4 ,so terrible was the visitation1 that he almost gave way to despair4 ,but he continued praying2 for there are two ways of offering prayer--orally and in secret4 ,he had been praying orally1 but could not now supplicate in that manner1 being unable to move his lips4 ,yet he continued to pray--with the soul's sincere desire2 and just at the moment when he feared that he must abandon himself to destruction1 he saw1 directly over his head1 a light more brilliant than noonday4 ,in the midst of a pillar of glory he beheld two beings in human form1 ,one of whom1 pointing to the ,other1 said3 ,this is my beloved ,son1 hear ,him4 ,as soon as the ,light appeared1 the boy found himself delivered from the fettering power of the ,evil ,one4 ,when he could again command utterance1 he inquired of his glorious visitants which of all the religious denominations was right--which one was the true ,church of ,christ8 ,to his astonishment he was told that none of them was right2 that they had all gone out of the way1 and were teaching for doctrine the commandments of men4 ,the ,lord did not recognize any of them1 but was about to restore the ,gospel and the ,priesthood and establish his ,church once more in the midst of mankind4 ,this was ,joseph ,smith's first vision and revelation4 ,it came in the spring of #ahbj1 when he was a few months over fourteen years of age4 ,the greater part of this wonderful manifestation was the part that did not speak1 the silent revealing of ,god as a personage2 a truth plainly taught in the ,scriptures 7,gen4 #a3bf1 #bg2 ,phil4 #b3e-h2 ,col4 #a3ac-ae2 ,heb4 #a-c71 but ignored or denied by modern ,christianity4 ,three years later the youth received a visitation from an ,angel1 who gave his name as ,moroni1 the same who is represented by the statue on the ,salt ,lake ,temple4 ,this ,angel announced himself as the last of a line of prophets who had ministered to an ancient people called ,nephites1 a branch of the house of ,israel--not the ,lost ,tribes1 as is often asserted1 but a portion of the tribe of ,joseph4 ,they had crossed over from ,jerusalem about the year #fjj ,b4 ,c41 and1 with a remnant of the tribe of ,judah1 which joined them later1 had inhabited the ,americas down to about the beginning of the fourth ,christian century4 ,at that time the civilized though degenerate nation was destroyed by a savage faction known as ,lamanites1 ancestors of the ,american ,indians4 ,the ,book of ,mormon4 ,the ,angel showed to ,joseph where a record of the ,nephites had been deposited1 and subsequently delivered it into his hands1 with interpreters1 ,urim and ,thummim1 by means of which the youth translated the record into ,english and gave to the world the ,book of ,mormon4 ,it was so named for its compiler1 the ,nephite prophet ,mormon1 whose son and survivor1 ,moroni1 had buried the metallic plates containing it in a hill1 where they were found ,september #bbnd1 #ahbc4 ,the ,hill ,cumorah1 called ,mormon ,hill by the present day inhabitants of that region1 is between ,palmyra and ,manchester1 in the ,state of ,new ,york4 ,for their belief in the ,book of ,mormon1 the ,latter-day ,saints are termed ,mormons1 and their religion1 ,mormonism4 ,this book tells how the ,savior1 after his resurrection1 made himself known to the ,nephites--the other sheep referred to in ,john #aj3af--;and organized his ,church among them1 after the pattern of his ,church at ,jerusalem4 ,choosing twelve special witnesses1 he gave to three of them the same promise that he had given to the ,apostle ,john--that they should remain upon earth1 superior to death1 and bring souls to ,him4 ,he prophesied concerning ,america1 the ,land of ,zion1 the place for the ,new ,jerusalem1 a holy city to be built by a gathering of scattered ,israel prior to ,his second coming4 ,the ,nephite record1 containing the fulness of the ,gospel as delivered to that ancient people1 is a history of this chosen land and a prophecy of its future4 ,it predicts the great work introduced by the ,latter-day ,prophet1 a work so marvelous in some of its phases that most men reject it1 deeming it a fable4 ,but the ,christian world1 with the ,bible in its hands1 should have been prepared for something of this kind4 ,the ,hebrew seers prophesied concerning it4 ,isaiah foretold a marvelous work and a wonder1 declaring at the same time that the wisdom of the wise should perish1 and the understanding of the prudent be hid2 meaning1 evidently1 that human sagacity and worldly knowledge would stand confounded before it4 ,that prophet1 speaking in the name of the ,lord1 gave as the reason for such in innovation3 ,this people draw near me with their mouth1 and with their lips do honor me1 but have removed their heart far from me1 and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men 7,isaiah #bi3ac1 #ad74 ,a brief yet comprehensive description of the state of the religious world at the time of the advent of ,mormonism4 ,divine ,authority4 ,while the ,book of ,mormon was in course of translation1 ,john the ,baptist1 as an angel from ,god1 conferred upon ,joseph ,smith and his scribe1 ,oliver ,cowdery1 the ,aaronic ,priesthood1 which holds the keys of outward ordinances and ministers in temporal things4 ,subsequently the ,melchizedek ,priesthood1 holding the keys of spiritual mysteries1 and including the ,aaronic as the greater includes the less1 was conferred upon them by three other heavenly messengers--the ,apostles ,peter1 ,james and ,john4 ,thus empowered1 the two young men1 with four associates1 organized on the sixth of ,april1 #ahcj1 the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints4 ,this event took place in ,fayette1 ,seneca ,county1 ,new ,york4 ,thus was restored the ,ancient ,faith1 with the powers of the ,eternal ,priesthood1 the delegated divine authority that enables men to act as ,god's representatives1 and without which no man can lawfully administer the sacred ordinances of the ,gospel4 ,no man taketh this honor unto himself1 but he that is called of ,god1 as was ,aaron4 7,heb4 #e3d47 ,thus was re-established the true ,church of ,christ1 and the prophetic ,ensign lifted for the gathering of scattered ,israel 7,isaiah #aa3ab72 an event preparatory to the ,savior's second coming4 ,a ,catholic ,utterance4 ,many years ago a learned man1 a member of the ,roman ,catholic ,church1 came to ,utah and spoke from the stand of the ,salt ,lake ,tabernacle4 ,i became well acquainted with him1 and we conversed freely and frankly4 ,a great scholar1 with perhaps a dozen languages at his tongue's end1 he seemed to know all about theology1 law1 literature1 science1 and philosophy4 ,one day he said to me3 ,you ,mormons are all ignoramuses4 ,you don't even know the strength of your own position4 ,it is so strong that there is only one other tenable in the whole ,christian world1 and that is the position of the ,catholic ,church4 ,the issue is between ,catholicism and ,mormonism4 ,if we are right1 you are wrong2 if you are right1 we are wrong2 and that's all there is to it4 ,the ,protestants haven't a leg to stand on4 ,for if we are wrong1 they are wrong with us1 since they were a part of us and went out from us2 while if we are right1 they are apostates whom we cut off long ago4 ,if we have the apostolic succession from ,st4 ,peter1 as we claim1 there was no need of ,joseph ,smith and ,mormonism2 but if we have not that succession1 then such a man as ,joseph ,smith was necessary1 and ,mormonism's attitude is the only consistent one4 ,it is either the perpetuation of the ,gospel from ancient times1 or the restoration of the ,gospel in latter days4 ,my reply was substantially as follows3 ,i agree with you1 ,doctor1 in nearly all that you have said4 ,but don't deceive yourself with the notion that we ,mormons are not aware of the strength of our position4 ,we are better aware of it than anyone else4 ,we have not all been to college2 we cannot all speak the dead languages2 we may be 'ignoramuses'1 as you say2 but we know that we are right1 and we know that you are wrong4 ,i was just as frank with him as he had been with me4 ,an ,episcopal ,view4 ,at a later period ,i conversed with another man of culture1 a bishop of the ,episcopal ,church4 ,he affirmed that if ,joseph ,smith1 at the outset of his career1 had become acquainted with the ,episcopalians1 he would have been content and would have looked no further for spiritual light4 ,the trouble is1 said the ,bishop1 ,joseph encountered the ,methodists1 the ,baptists1 the ,presbyterians and others1 with their conflicting creeds and claims4 ,these failing to satisfy him1 he sought elsewhere4 ,now the ,episcopalians have an unbroken succession of authority all down the centuries1 and if ,joseph ,smith had become informed as to them1 he would never have taken the trouble to organize another church4 ,and these are some of the views that learned men take of ,mormonism4 ,with all their learning1 they are not able to come to a knowledge of the truth4 ,they do not begin to dream of the greatness of ,god's work1 the grandeur of ,christ's cause4 ,they have no idea of the real strength of its position4 ,they assume that ,joseph ,smith stumbled upon something of which he did not know the true value1 and that it was sheer luck which gave to ,mormonism its vantage ground1 its recognized strength of position4 ,never was there a grosser error4 ,there are concepts as much higher than these1 as the heavens are higher than the earth4 ,the ,mormons are not the ignoramuses when it comes to a consideration of the ,gospel's mighty themes4 ,the ,real ,reason4 ,yet it is not because of human smartness--not because the followers of ,joseph ,smith are brainier than other people1 that they have a greater knowledge of ,god and are capable of loftier ideals in religion4 ,it is because they have received1 through the gift of the ,holy ,ghost1 a perceptive power1 a spiritual illumination which the world1 with all its culture1 does not possess1 and without which no man can know ,god or comprehend ,his purposes4 ,it cannot be had from books and schools4 ,colleges and universities cannot impart it4 ,it can come only in one way--,god's way1 not man's4 ,the ,latter-day ,saints have it1 not because of any greater natural ability than other men and women possess1 but because they have bowed in obedience to the divine will1 thus making themselves worthy to receive this inestimable boon4 ,all mankind may have it upon precisely the same conditions4 ,another ,objection4 ,the ,episcopal ,bishop whom ,i have mentioned remarked to me on another occasion1 that his main objection to ,mormonism was that we ,mormons were not interested in anything going on outside of our own community4 ,he declared that we gave no credit to other peoples or to other systems for the good they were accomplishing4 ,for instance1 said he1 we retranslate the ,scriptures1 making them more plain1 more intelligible1 with a view to enlightening mankind thereon2 but you give us no credit for that4 ,we uncover ancient cities1 buried civilizations1 here in ,america and elsewhere2 we decipher old-time inscriptions on obelisks1 in documents1 etc41 seeking to acquaint the present with the past2 but you put no value on such work4 ,we found hospitals and infirmaries1 maintain missions1 carry the name of ,christ to the heathen1 publish the ,bible by millions of copies1 and are endeavoring to place one in every home4 ,but you take no account of these things2 you are not interested in our efforts2 you think them all vain and of no worth4 ,not a ,narrow ,religion4 ,the remark surprised me4 ,i was astonished that any well informed person could entertain such an opinion respecting us and our religion4 ,there may be such a thing as a narrow ,mormon2 there may be such a thing as a narrow notion in the mind of some ,mormon2 but there never has been and there never will be such a thing as a narrow ,mormonism4 ,far from ignoring what other peoples and other systems are doing1 it takes account of everything1 and assigns it to its proper place in the universal scheme4 ,if there is anything virtuous1 lovely1 or of good report1 or praiseworthy1 we seek after these things4 ,so says the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints1 in one of its ,articles of ,faith4 ,mormonism is a much bigger thing than ,catholic scholars or ,episcopal bishops imagine4 ,it is the greatest system of philosophy that the world has ever known1 the grandest poem that ,divine ,genius ever created1 the mightiest melody ever struck from the vibrant harps of ,eternity4 ,it is the sublime drama of all the ages1 and the last act is now on1 the final scene about to unfold4 ,what ,mormonism ,stands ,for ,mormonism stands for the restoration of the ,gospel in this dispensation2 but that is not all4 ,it stands for the ,gospel itself in all the dispensations1 as those periods are termed during which ,god has spoken to man and dispensed from heaven these saving principles and powers4 ,this is but one of a number of such periods1 reaching from the days of ,adam down to the present time4 ,the ,gospel preached by the ancient ,twelve was a restored ,gospel1 just as much as it is to-day4 ,it had been upon ,earth before the age of the ,apostles4 ,christianity1 the faith of the once despised ,christians1 is now ,mormonism1 the religion of the unpopular ,mormons4 ,what matter the names bestowed upon it by men8 ,truth is not to be disposed of by pelting it with epithets4 ,the character of a jewel is not changed by covering it with rubbish and dirt4 ,a diamond is a diamond1 whether it sparkle in the dust at your feet1 or glitter in the diadem of a queen4 ,mormonism is not a product of the ,nineteenth ,century4 ,joseph ,smith did not originate it1 nor did any other man4 ,what is called ,mormonism is the ,everlasting ,gospel1 the religion of all the ages1 ,god's great plan for the salvation of the human family2 and not only their salvation1 but their exaltation if they obey it in fulness4 ,the ,gospel has a three fold power2 it redeems1 saves1 and glorifies4 ,redemption is resurrection1 but that is not sufficient2 it is not enough that man be brought forth from the grave4 ,all men1 good and bad1 will be resurrected2 but resurrection is not salvation1 any more than salvation is exaltation4 ,many redeemed from the grave will be condemned at the final judgment1 for evil deeds done in the body2 and many will be saved1 yet come short of the glory that constitutes exaltation4 ,god's greatest gift1 eternal life1 has been offered to man again and again1 in a series of dispensations of which this is the greatest and the last4 ,the winding up scene1 the final act of the play--such is the dispensation now opened1 wherein will be brought to a glorious finale the whole of ,god's mighty work pertaining to this planet2 a work begun at the very dawn of creation1 and continued down to this day4 ,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 7,eph4 #a3aj47 ,the ,god ,story4 ,what is generally termed ,the ,gospel relates to the laws and ordinances of the ,gospel4 7,see ,l4,d4,s4 ,articles of ,faith47 ,but the term in its broadest sense means far more4 ,the ,english word ,gospel comes from the ,anglo-,saxon ,godspell or ,god-,story4 ,hence we have the four gospels--,matthew1 ,mark1 ,luke and ,john--all narratives of the ,christ1 but in reality only parts of the complete ,god ,story1 which comprises the heavenly as well as the earthly career of our ,redeemer4 ,three personages compose the ,godhead--the ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,ghost2 and it was the second of these who became the ,saviour1 ,the ,word who was made flesh1 as mentioned by ,st4 ,john4 7#a3a-d47 ,the ,gospel in its fulness signifies everything connected with ,jesus ,christ1 past or present--the ,son's entire career1 from the time he left his celestial throne1 to the time he returned thither1 glorified with that glory which he had with the ,father before the world was4 ,the ,son is one with the ,father--not in person1 but in power1 will1 wisdom1 and authority4 ,he is ,god1 but is called the ,son of ,god because he came forth from the ,father to manifest in the flesh the fulness of the ,godhead bodily4 ,the ,path to ,perfection4 ,the ,gospel had its origin before the foundation of the world4 ,god1 finding he was in the midst of spirits and glory1 because he was more intelligent1 saw proper to institute laws whereby the rest could have a privilege to advance like himself4 7,joseph ,smith1 ,times and ,seasons1 ,august #ae1 #ahdd47 ,the ,gospel1 therefore1 is not a mere fire-escape--a way out of a perilous situation4 ,it is a divine plan for human progress1 the ,path to ,perfection1 and was instituted as such before man was in a position to be redeemed or saved1 before any such exigency had arisen4 ,it was established before ,adam's fall1 and in the prospect of that fall1 which was a step in the onward march to the eternal goal4 ,adam fell that men might be--that is1 mortal men2 for by the fall those spirits in the midst of which ,god found himself were to secure bodies and become souls1 capable of endless increase and advancement4 ,adam did that for the race2 he gave us one of the most precious boons that man can possess--a body1 without which the spirit would be imperfect and could not be exalted4 ,but ,adam could do no more1 and a still greater boon had to be given1 in order that the fall might be effectual1 and the ,gospel plan be made operative for the ends in view4 ,the machinery was ready1 but the ,power had to be turned on4 ,the fall had a twofold direction--downward1 yet forward2 and though designed as a blessing1 there was a penalty attached4 ,death came into the world--spiritual and temporal death1 eternal banishment from the ,divine ,presence2 and man's progress would have halted then and there1 would have utterly and permanently ceased1 had not something been done to lift him from his fallen state1 and open the way that he might go on to perfection4 ,adam gave us earthly life2 but the greater boon--eternal life--is the gift of the ,redeemer and ,saviour4 ,descending from his glorious throne1 he became mortal for man's sake1 and by dying burst the bands of death1 thus making eternal progression possible4 ,fall and ,redemption4 ,adam's transgression was malum prohibitum1 or wrong because forbidden2 not malum in se1 or wrong in itself4 ,it had a beneficent purpose1 but it put the world in pawn1 and ,death was the pawnbroker1 with a twofold claim upon all creation4 ,adam could not redeem himself1 and the human race1 which sprang from him1 was likewise powerless4 ,no part of what had been pledged could be used as the means of redemption4 ,something not subject to death was the required ransom4 ,the life of a ,god was the price of the world's freedom2 and that price was paid by the sinless ,one1 the ,lamb without spot or blemish1 who made himself a redemptive sacrifice1 to mend the broken law1 pay the debt to justice1 repoise the unbalanced scale1 and restore the equilibrium of right4 ,christ1 the ,world-,deliverer1 was as a greater ,moses1 leading an enslaved universe out from the ,egypt of sin1 out from the bondage of death4 ,the ,principle of ,obedience4 ,in return for this mighty deliverance1 and in order to perfect his work--to save and glorify what he died to redeem1 our ,lord requires from us obedience1 the great fundamental principle upon which all blessings are predicated1 and upon which alone they can be obtained4 7,doc4 and ,cov4 #acj3bj1 #ba47 ,this principle redeemed ,adam from the ,fall4 ,it is the only way whereby man can be redeemed4 ,there is but one path to ,god1 and it is open to the peasant as well as to the king4 ,all secure salvation upon the same terms4 ,there is no royal road to heaven--no favoritism4 ,there is nothing so absolutely democratic as the ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ4 ,every man may share it1 but he must help to save himself4 ,he is in a pit and must come up out of it4 ,a ladder has been provided and let down to him1 and he must climb that ladder1 or he will never rise above his fallen state1 never re-enter the presence of ,god4 ,round by ,round4 ,the first round of salvation's ladder is faith in ,jesus ,christ2 the second1 repentance1 or turning away from sin2 third1 baptism by immersion for the remission of sins2 and fourth1 the gift of the ,holy ,ghost by the laying on of hands of men having divine authority4 ,but there are other rounds to the ladder1 other principles to be obeyed by those who would attain the fulness of ,god's glory4 ,these principles have been revealed to man many times4 ,but there is a proneness in human nature to depart from the truth and turn to fables2 the natural man being an enemy to ,god4 ,and this has rendered necessary the various restorations of the ,gospel4 ,all in ,one4 ,in order to understand ,mormonism aright1 one must grasp the idea of a series of ,gospel dispensations1 interrelated and connected like the links of a mighty chain1 extending through the whole course of time4 ,the ,dispensation of the ,fulness of ,times proposes to bring together and weld into one the broken links of the ,gospel chain4 ,this was the dominant thought in the mind of the ,prophet ,joseph ,smith as his last day on earth drew near4 ,he expressed it in these words3 ,it is necessary1 in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times1 444 that a whole and complete and perfect union and welding together of dispensations1 and keys1 and powers1 and glories should take place and be revealed from the days of ,adam even to the present time2 and not only this1 but things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world1 but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent1 shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this the dispensation of the fulness of times4 7,doc4 ,cov4 #abh3ah47 ,mormonism is all-comprehensive4 ,it claims the past and lays its hand upon the future4 ,the past is necessary to explain the present and the future4 ,what ,is cannot be clearly understood without some knowledge of ,what ,has ,been and ,what ,will ,be4 ,accordingly1 the ,spirit of ,truth1 manifesting the things of ,god1 brings things past to remembrance1 and shows things to come4 ,the ,mission of ,elijah4 ,mormonism signifies the restitution of all things4 ,it stands for law and order--a place for everything1 and everything in its place4 ,this is the significance of the mission of ,elijah--the turning of the hearts of the children to the fathers1 lest earth be cursed and smitten at the ,saviour's coming4 7,malachi #d3e1 #f47 ,past and present are related2 it is the relationship of parent and child2 and they must be joined1 in order that perfection may reign4 ,we cannot be made perfect without our ancestors1 nor can they be made perfect without us4 ,consequently temples are built by ,god's people1 and work done in them--vicarious work1 for and in behalf of the departed4 ,baptisms1 endowments1 marriages for eternity1 in person or by proxy1 are prominent features of this sacred labor4 ,joseph ,smith received the keys of ,elijah 7,doc4 ,cov4 #aaj3ad-af71 and ministered for the sealing of the present to the past1 the union of the living and the dead4 ,it was the beginning of the restitution of all things4 ,many ,gospel ,dispensations4 ,mormonism is the religion that saved ,adam4 ,adam1 therefore1 was the original ,mormon4 ,his religion was also that of ,enoch1 of ,noah1 of ,abraham1 of ,moses and ,aaron1 and of the ,apostles upon both hemispheres4 ,and it has come back1 in this final dispensation1 to bring together all things that are ,christ's4 ,in the ,pearl of ,great ,price1 one of four doctrinal standards with the ,latter-day ,saints--the other three being the ,bible1 the ,book of ,mormon1 and the ,doctrine and ,covenants--we are informed that ,adam1 after his fall1 was divinely commanded to build an altar and offer a lamb thereon1 typical of the ,lamb of ,god who was to take away the sin of the world4 ,already slain theoretically in the heavens1 where he had been chosen for his earthly mission1 he was yet to be slain literally upon this planet2 and ,adam was told to look forward to that sacrificial event1 and in the light of it to practice the principles of salvation4 ,and thus the ,gospel began to be preached from the beginning1 being declared by holy angels1 sent forth from the presence of ,god1 and by his own voice1 and by the gift of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,and thus all things were confirmed unto ,adam by a holy ordinance1 and the gospel preached1 and a decree sent forth that it should be in the world until the end thereof4 ,and thus it was1 ,amen4 7,moses #e3eh1 #ei47 ,joseph ,smith saw ,adam in the valley of ,adam-ondi-,ahman4 7,doc4 ,cov4 #aaf47 ,that is1 he beheld him in vision1 retrospectively4 ,bowed with age1 the great ,patriarch blessed his posterity1 foretelling what should befall them to the latest generation4 ,it was the mightiest patriarchal blessing ever given4 ,joseph affirms that ,adam will come again1 will come as the ,ancient of ,days1 and call his children together at that very place1 ,adam-ondi-,ahman1 and hold a council to prepare them for the coming of the ,lord4 ,thus is indicated the relationship between the ,first and the ,final ,dispensations4 ,adam presides over all the dispensations 7,church ,history1 ,vol4 #d1 pp4 #bjg-bji71 and all must be bound together in the great day of unity and restoration4 ,in ,enoch's day the ,gospel was preached with such power and success1 that his ,city became sanctified and was translated or taken into ,heaven3 a symbol1 a foreshadowing of the greater ,zion of the last days1 which is to prepare the way for the ,lord's glorious advent4 ,as part of the universal restitution1 that ancient city will return2 ,zion from above will meet and blend with ,zion from below1 and a social order prevail similar to that which characterized ,enoch's commonwealth1 concerning which it is written3 ,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 7,moses #g3ah47 ,such a condition must again be realized before the ,lord comes4 ,this is ,zion--the pure in heart2 every man seeking the interest of his neighbor1 and doing all things with an eye single to the glory of ,god4 7,doc4 ,cov4 #ig3ba2 #hb3ai47 ,next we reckon with the dispensation of ,noah4 ,he preached the ,gospel for a hundred and twenty years1 but saved only eight souls1 including his own4 ,all the rest were swept away by the ,deluge1 their disembodied spirits being shut up in the prison house to await the due time of their deliverance 7,moses #h3bd74 ,the ,savior said regarding that dispensation3 ,as the days of ,noe were1 so shall also the coming of the ,son of ,man be4 7,matt4 #bd3cg-ci47 ,in the days of ,noah this planet was baptized with water2 in a day to come it will be baptized with cleansing fire4 ,its elements will melt with fervent heat2 it will die and be resurrected1 or converted into a celestial sphere1 an abode of the righteous forever4 ,such is the destiny of ,mother ,earth4 ,mormonism will not have accomplished its mission until it has made of earth a ,heaven1 and of man a ,god4 ,the ,house of ,israel4 ,abraham held the keys of a dispensation1 and ,elias delivered those keys to ,joseph the ,prophet 7,doc4 ,cov4 #aaj3ab47 ,abraham is the father of the faithful4 ,through ,abraham1 ,isaac and ,jacob1 those great progenitors of the ,house of ,israel1 the world had been sprinkled with believing blood1 and spirits answering to that blood have been sent through their lineage to minister for the salvation of mankind4 ,this is the reason--the main reason why ,israel was dispersed among the nations1 and why he still suffers persecution4 ,through that chosen seed comes salvation1 and it comes by no other route4 ,it is the lineage of the one and only ,saviour4 ,they who have scattered ,israel1 and trampled him in the dust1 are dependent upon him for their eternal welfare4 ,christ himself is the model4 ,he died that the human race might live4 ,greater love than this hath no man1 that he will lay down his life for his friends4 ,more than man is he who lays down his life for his enemies4 ,the ,son of ,god died not only for his friends1 but for his foes1 that salvation might come to all4 ,in a lesser degree the ,house of ,israel has been martyred for a similar purpose--that the whole world might be blessed4 ,the ,latter-day ,saints are numbered among ,abraham's descendants4 ,the first to embrace the restored ,gospel were called out from the nations because they had his blood in their veins4 ,joseph ,smith lifted the ,ensign for the gathering of scattered ,israel1 but lived only long enough to assemble a portion of the half tribe of ,ephraim1 to which he belonged4 ,the work that he commenced1 however1 will go on until all the tribes of ,israel are gathered and the way prepared before the coming of the ,son of ,god4 ,the ,shoulders of the ,philistines4 ,ephraim1 in ancient times1 mixed himself among the people4 7,hosea #g3h47 ,consequently the ,latter-day ,saints1 who are mostly of ,ephraim1 also have ,gentile blood in their veins4 ,gentile is not a term of reproach with us4 ,it springs from gentilis1 meaning of a nation1 and was used anciently to designate those nations that were not of ,israel4 ,japheth1 son of ,noah1 is the sire of the ,gentile race1 while ,abraham and his seed are descended from ,japheth's brother ,shem4 ,we ,mormons have no quarrel with the ,gentiles4 ,they are virtually our co-laborers in this great work of preparation4 ,we cannot do it alone4 ,it is too vast1 too arduous4 ,we need the help of the ,gentiles1 their wealth1 their power1 their wonderful insight into and command over material things1 their intelligence and skill in manipulating temporalities4 ,we need their means of rapid transit and communication4 ,we could not gather ,god's people without the aid of the ,gentiles4 ,they shall fly upon the shoulders of the ,philistines toward the ,west4 ,so wrote ,isaiah concerning ,israel1 with prophetic eye upon this very period4 ,the shoulders of the ,philistines are the ships and railroads of the ,gentiles4 ,our friends on the outside--our fellow ,gentiles shall ,i call them8--have not always understood us1 nor have we always understood them4 ,there has been much bitterness and estrangement between the two classes4 ,i am convinced that if the ,gentiles knew us better1 and we more fully realized our relationship to them1 all would feel kinder and more charitable4 ,we would recognize that we are engaged in the same great cause--for so we are1 in a general way--and that we have no right to hate each other1 no right to work against each other--that is1 when in the line of our duty1 doing what ,god has given us to do4 ,the ,gentiles have not the fulness of the ,gospel1 nor the powers of the ,priesthood2 they are not the oracles of ,god1 nor the ministers of salvation4 ,these are prerogatives of the ,house of ,israel4 ,but the children of ,japheth doubtless have their special mission1 and it is a part of the divine plan for human progression4 ,this is ,god's work1 and he is doing it in his own way4 ,he has instruments outside as well as inside the ,church4 ,whether men know it or not1 they are working out the ends he has in view4 ,he may not always notify them of their appointment to serve him1 nor does he ask permission to use them2 but he uses them just the same4 ,we are here not only to act1 but to be acted upon4 ,the ,lord put his spirit upon ,columbus and impelled him across the great waters to discover the ,land of ,zion4 ,he nerved the arm and fired the soul of ,washington1 when he and his ragged regiments were fighting for freedom1 for independence1 for the founding of a government--though they knew it not--under which ,god's work could come forth and not be crushed out by the tyranny of man4 ,the ,god of ,israel was with those ,gentiles1 the founders of the ,american ,republic1 who were probably of a mixed lineage1 having much of the blood of ,israel in their veins4 ,and ,he is with all good and great men whose hearts are set to do right and to uplift humanity4 ,he is with them1 whether they recognize it or not4 ,their strength is a part of his omnipotence4 ,moses and the ,gathering4 ,moses1 who led ,israel out of ,egypt1 held the keys for the gathering of ,god's people2 and those keys had to be restored1 that there might be a greater gathering1 of which the ,egyptian exodus was typical4 ,moses1 as a ministering angel1 delivered to ,joseph ,smith the keys of the ,gathering4 7,doc4 ,cov4 #aaj3aa47 ,but for this1 the children of ,ephraim1 such as are now ,latter-day ,saints1 would still be in ,babylon1 many of them in distant lands1 from which they have come like sheep at the call of the ,shepherd4 ,moses had a dispensation of the ,gospel1 and sought to sanctify his people that they might look upon the face of ,god1 as he had done4 ,but they were not prepared for it2 and so ,moses was taken1 with the ,melchizedeck ,priesthood and the fulness of the ,gospel 7,doc4 ,cov4 #hd3ai-bh71 and ,israel was left for fifteen centuries under the ,aaronic ,priesthood and the ,lesser ,law1 which ,paul likened unto a schoolmaster1 to bring them to ,christ4 ,in due time came the ,saviour and the ,meridian ,dispensation4 ,twelve ,apostles were chosen upon the ,eastern ,hemisphere1 and ,twelve upon the ,western1 and sent forth to preach the ,gospel as a witness before the end4 ,and the end came--the end decreed at that time-the downfall of the ,jewish commonwealth1 and later the destruction of the ,nephite nation4 ,those terrible calamities were typical of one more terrible still--the downfall of all wickedness1 the approaching ,end of the ,world4 ,and now1 after the lapse of nearly two thousand years1 the ,gospel and the ,priesthood have come back again4 ,once more1 the pure word of ,god is going forth1 this time as the immediate forerunner of the decreed ,consummation4 ,mormonism means far more than the restoration of the ,gospel at the beginning of the ,nineteenth ,century4 ,such a definition1 such a presentation of the subject would be manifestly imperfect4 ,ignorant indeed would be that ,mormon who confined his thinking to so narrow a field4 ,mormonism is not a mere sect among sects1 one more broken off fragment of a degenerate and crumbling ,christianity4 ,it is the pure1 primitive ,christianity restored--the original faith1 the root of all religion2 and it was not accident1 but design1 that gave it the strength of its position4 ,alma's ,aspiration4 ,let me now quote a passage from the ,book of ,mormon1 the words of the ,nephite prophet ,alma1 who lived about seventy-five years before the birth of the ,saviour3 ,oh1 that ,i were an angel1 and could have the wish of mine heart1 that ,i might go forth and speak with the trump of ,god1 with a voice to shake the earth1 and cry repentance unto every people2 ,yea1 ,i would declare unto every soul1 as with the voice of thunder1 repentance1 and the plan of redemption1 that they should repent and come unto our ,god1 that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth4 ,but behold1 ,i am a man1 and do sin in my wish2 for ,i ought to be content with the things which the ,lord hath allotted unto me4 ,i ought not to harrow up in my desires the firm decree of a just ,god1 for ,i know that he granteth unto men according to their desire1 whether it be unto death or unto life2 yea1 ,i know that he allotteth unto men according to their will1 whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction4 ,yea1 and ,i know that good and evil have come before all men2 he that knoweth not good from evil is blameless2 but he that knoweth good and evil1 to him it is given according to his desires1 whether he desireth good or evil1 life or death1 joy or remorse of conscience4 ,now1 seeing that ,i know these things1 why should ,i desire more than to perform the work to which ,i have been called8 ,why should ,i desire that ,i was an angel1 that ,i could speak unto all the ends of the earth8 ,for behold1 the ,lord doth grant unto all nations1 of their own nation and tongue1 to teach his word2 yea1 in wisdom1 all that he seeth fit that they should have2 therefore we see that the ,lord doth counsel in wisdom1 according to that which is just and true4 ,i know that which the ,lord hath commanded me1 and ,i glory in it2 ,i do not glory of myself1 but ,i glory in that which the ,lord hath commanded me2 yea1 and this is my glory1 that perhaps ,i may be an instrument in the hands of ,god1 to bring some soul to repentance2 and this is my joy4 7,alma #bi3a-i47 ,does that sound as if ,mormonism took no cognizance of what is going on in the outside world8 ,how can any intelligent reader arise from a study of the ,mormon religion1 honestly convinced that the ,latter-day ,saints are interested in nothing beyond the bounds of their own system8 ,that one passage from the ,book of ,mormon suffices to refute the false notion4 ,of ,their ,own ,nation and ,tongue4 ,god's truth has been taught all down the ages by men bearing the ,priesthood1 the authority to represent ,deity4 ,but other men1 not bearing that authority1 wise and worthy teachers1 have been raised up in various nations to give them that measure of truth which they were able to receive4 ,hence1 such men as ,confucius1 the ,chinese sage2 ,zoroaster1 the ,persian2 and ,guatama of the ,hindus2 men not wielding divine authority1 not empowered to present the ,gospel1 nor to officiate in its ordinances2 but nevertheless endowed with wisdom1 with profundity of thought and learning1 to deliver1 each to his own people1 that portion of truth which the all-wise ,dispenser sees fit that they should have2 people who1 if given a fulness of the truth1 might trample it under foot to their condemnation4 ,therefore they die without law 7,doc4 ,cov4 #gf3gb72 that is1 without the higher law1 the ,gospel1 which1 however1 will reach after them in a future life4 ,the world's poets and philosophers1 artists and musicians1 scientists1 discoverers1 warriors and statesmen1 good and great characters in general--all have their work and mission under an over-ruling ,providence4 ,if some of ,god's children are not worthy of the fulness of ,truth1 and would not make a wise use of it were it sent to them1 that is no reason why they should not be given as much truth as they can wisely use8 ,the ,case of ,islam4 ,carlyle1 in splendid phrasing1 presents this view most strikingly1 in his vivid portrayal the coming of ,mahomet to the ,arabs1 who were thus converted from idolatry1 the worship of sticks and stones1 to the worship of one god--,allah1 with ,mahomet as his prophet3 ,to the ,arab ,nation it was as a birth from darkness into light2 ,arabia first became alive by means of it4 ,a poor shepherd people1 roaming unnoticed in its deserts since the creation of the world3 ,a ,hero-,prophet was sent down to them with a word they could believe3 see1 the unnoticed becomes world-notable1 the small has grown world great2 within one century afterwards1 ,arabia is at ,grenada on this hand1 at ,delhi on that--glancing in valor and splendor and the light of genius1 ,arabia shines through long ages over a great section of the world4 ,belief is great1 life-giving4 ,the history of a ,nation becomes fruitful1 soul-elevating1 great1 so soon as it believes4 ,these ,arabs1 the man ,mahomet1 and that one century--is it not as if a spark had fallen1 one spark1 on a world of what seemed black unnoticeable sand2 but lo1 the sand proves explosive power1 blazes heaven-high from ,delhi to ,grenada6 ,i said1 the ,great ,man was always as lightning out of ,heaven2 the rest of men waited for him like fuel1 and then they too would flame4--,heroes and ,hero ,worship--,lecture ,,ii1 p4 #cjf4 ,president ,smith's ,pronouncement4 ,president ,joseph ,f4 ,smith1 until recently the head of ,god's ,church on earth1 touched in a discourse the general theme here under consideration4 ,said he3 ,knowledge is increasing throughout the world1 with reference to material things2 and all this knowledge that has been restored to the world through science has been inspired of ,god4 444 ,the men who are led to wonderful discoveries are inspired by the spirit of understanding that cometh from ,god1 that giveth them light and knowledge4 444 ,so1 ,latter-day ,saints acknowledge those men who discovered how to control the lightning1 how to control and utilize the power of steam that prevails so universally among men today1 and all those who have discovered all the other secrets of nature1 like the telegraph1 the telephone1 and all other means of communication--all these discoveries are by the promptings of the ,spirit of ,god that giveth to the mind and spirit of men understanding4 7,improvement ,era1 ,july1 #aiag7 ,president ,smith1 however1 drew a distinction1 as do all orthodox preachers of ,mormonism1 between the light that illumines1 in greater or less degree1 every soul that comes into the world1 and the ,holy ,ghost as a personage1 the third in the ,godhead4 ,he also differentiated the universal divine spirit1 enjoyed to some extent by all men1 from the gift of the ,holy ,ghost1 a special endowment reserved for the members of the ,church of ,christ4 ,the ,poet's ,mission4 ,an ,american poet1 ,doctor ,j4 ,g4 ,holland1 has this to say of the poet and his mission3 ,the poets of the world are the prophets of humanity4 ,they forever reach after and foresee the ultimate good4 ,they are evermore building the ,paradise that it is to be1 painting the ,millennium that is to come4 ,when the world shall reach the poet's ideal1 it will arrive at perfection1 and much good will it do the world to measure itself by this ideal and struggle to lift the real to its lofty level4 ,in the light of such a noble utterance1 how paltry the ordinary concept of the poet as a mere verse builder4 ,his true mission is to lift up the ideal and encourage the real to advance towards it and eventually attain perfection4 ,the poet1 in this age of money worship1 is often ridiculed as a dreamer2 but the ridicule1 when applied to a genuine son of song1 is pointless4 ,the poet is a dreamer2 but so is the architect1 and the projector of railroads4 ,if there were no dreamers1 there would be no builders2 if there were no poets1 there would be no progress4 ,poets are prophets of a lesser degree1 and the prophets are the mightiest of the poets4 ,they hold the key to the symbolism of the universe1 and they alone are qualified to interpret it4 ,there are plenty of rhymesters who are neither poets nor prophets1 and there are poets and prophets who never build a verse1 nor make a rhyme4 ,rhyme is no essential element of poetry4 ,versification is an art employed by the poet to make his thought more attractive4 ,the rhyme helps the sentiment to reach the heart4 ,a musical instrument1 say a piano or an organ is painted and gilded1 not to improve its musical powers1 but to make it beautiful to the eye1 poetry as paint or gold leaf to the organ or piano1 and no more4 ,the essence of poetry is in its idealism4 ,god has built his universe upon symbols1 the lesser suggesting and leading up to the greater2 and the poetic faculty1 possessed by the prophet in fulness1 recognizes and interprets it4 ,all creations testify of their creator4 ,they point to something above and beyond4 ,that is why poetry of the highest order is always prophetic1 or infinitely suggestive2 and that is why the poet is a prophet1 and why there is such a thing as poetic prose4 ,a thing is poetic when it suggests something greater than itself4 ,man1 fashioned in the divine image1 suggests ,god1 and is therefore a symbol of ,god1 as ,carlyle affirms4 ,but ,joseph ,smith goes further4 ,he declares ,god to be an exalted ,man4 ,to narrow minds this is blasphemy2 but to the broad-minded it is poetry--poetry of the sublimest type4 ,in the sacrament of the ,lord's ,supper1 what is there of sacred efficacy in the bread and water1 taken alone8 ,there is not water enough in the ocean1 nor bread enough in all the bakeries of the world1 to constitute the ,lord's ,supper4 ,all that makes it effective as a sacrament is the blessing pronounced upon it by the priesthood1 and the symbolism whereby those elements are made to represent something greater than themselves1 namely1 the body and blood of the ,saviour4 ,what is done then becomes a holy ordinance1 full of force and effect1 a poem in action4 ,the same is true of baptism4 ,jesus said3 ,except a man be born of water and of the ,spirit1 he cannot enter into the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,he meant baptism1 which symbolizes birth or begetting4 ,the priest when baptizing performs in a mystical or spiritual way the function of fatherhood4 ,motherhood is symbolized by the baptismal font4 ,children of my begetting1 is a phrase used by the ancient apostles to characterize their converts1 who are also referred to as babes in ,christ1 fed upon the milk of the word4 ,paul says1 concerning baptism3 ,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 7,romans #f3d47 ,this shows that baptism1 when properly administered1 is a symbol of burial and resurrection--rebirth4 ,but the symbolism must be perfect or the ordinance is void4 ,to sprinkle or pour water upon the candidate for baptism1 destroys the symbolism1 or the poetry of the ordinance4 ,it does not represent a birth--a burial and a resurrection4 ,when the body is immersed1 however1--and that is the meaning of the ,greek term to baptize--descent into the grave is typified2 and when the body is brought up out of the water1 birth or coming forth from the grave is symbolized4 ,to be baptized or resurrected is equivalent to being born again4 ,the soul1 cleansed from sin1 is typical of the soul raised to immortality4 ,such is the poetry of baptism and the resurrection4 ,jesus ,christ1 the greatest of all prophets1 was likewise the greatest of all poets4 ,he comprehended the universe and its symbolism as no one else ever did1 and he taught in poetic parables1 taking simple things as types1 and teaching lessons that lead the mind upward and onward toward the ideal1 toward perfection4 ,we must not despise poetry2 it is indispensable1 even in practical affairs4 ,the ,gospel of ,christ is replete with poetry4 ,none but the ignorant pass it by as a thing of naught4 ,what of ,philosophy8 ,philosophy is the account which the human mind gives to itself of the constitution of the world4 ,so says that great modern philosopher1 ,ralph ,waldo ,emerson4 ,here is a passage from ,plato the ,greek1 as translated by ,emerson the ,american3 ,let us declare the cause which led the ,supreme ,ordainer to produce and compose the universe4 ,he was good2 and he who is good has no kind of envy4 ,exempt from envy1 he wished that all things should be as much as possible like himself4 ,whosoever1 taught by wise men1 shall admit this as the prime cause of the origin and foundation of the world1 will be in the truth4--,representative ,men1 ,lecture ,,ii4 ,very similar to this1 is that utterance of ,joseph ,smith's giving the origin and purpose of the ,gospel4 7,see paragraph ,path to ,perfection2 also ,the ,book of ,abraham #c3bb-bf47 ,but ,joseph did not get his philosophy from ,plato2 he had it directly from ,god1 the source of ,plato's inspiration4 ,there is no plagiarism in this semi-paralleling of a sublime thought4 ,confucius taught1 in a negative way1 the ,golden ,rule1 afterwards taught affirmatively and more fully by ,jesus of ,nazareth4 ,truth is truth1 where'er 'tis found1 ,on ,christian or on heathen ground2 ,and whether uttered by an ancient sage or by a modern seer1 it is worthy of all acceptance4 ,i have mentioned ,emerson4 ,here is a sample of that great writer's wisdom3 ,our strength grows out of our weakness4 ,not until we are pricked and stung and sorely shot at1 awakens the indignation which arms itself with secret forces4 ,a great man is always willing to be little4 ,while he sits on the cushion of advantages he goes to sleep4 ,when he is pushed1 tormented1 defeated1 he has a chance to learn something2 he has been put on his wits1 on his manhood2 he has gained facts2 learns his ignorance2 is cured of the insanity of conceit2 has got moderation and real skill4 ,blame is safer than praise4 ,i hate to be defended in a newspaper4 ,as long as all that is said is said against me1 ,i feel a certain assurance of success1 but as soon as honeyed words of praise are spoken for me ,i feel as one that lies unprotected before his enemies4 ,in general1 every evil to which we do not succumb1 is a benefactor4 ,the history of persecution is a history of endeavors to cheat nature1 to make water run up hill1 to twist a rope of sand4 ,the martyr cannot be dishonored4 ,every lash inflicted is a tongue of flame2 every prison a more illustrious abode2 every burned book or house enlightens the world2 every suppressed or expunged word reverberates through the earth from side to side4 ,the minds of men are at last aroused2 reason looks out and justifies her own1 and malice finds all her work vain4 ,it is the whipper who is whipped and the tyrant who is undone4 ,such1 also1 is the natural history of calamity4 ,the changes which break up at short intervals the prosperity of men1 are advertisements of a nature whose law is growth4 ,evermore it is the order of nature to grow 444 ,we cannot part with our friends4 ,we cannot let our angels go4 ,we do not see that they only go out1 that archangels may come in4 ,we are idolaters of the old 444 ,we do not believe there is any force in to-day to rival or recreate that beautiful yesterday 444 ,and yet the compensations of calamity are made apparent to the understanding also1 after long intervals of time4 ,a fever1 a mutilation1 a cruel disappointment1 a loss of wealth1 a loss of friends seems at the moment unpaid loss1 and unpayable4 ,but the sure years reveal the deep remedial force that underlies all facts4 ,the death of a dear friend1 wife1 brother1 lover1 which seemed nothing but privation1 somewhat later assumes the aspect of a guide or genius2 for it commonly operates revolutions in our way of life1 terminates an epoch of infancy or of youth which was waiting to be closed1 breaks up a wonted occupation1 or a household1 or style of living1 and allows the formation of new ones more friendly to the growth of character4 ,it permits or constrains the formation of new acquaintances and the reception of new influences that prove of the first importance to the next years2 and the man or woman who would have remained a sunny garden flower1 with no room for its roots and too much sunshine for its head1 by the falling of the walls and the neglect of the gardener1 is made the banyan of the forest1 yielding shade and fruit to wide neighborhoods of men4--,essay ,,iii4 ,compensation4 ,poetry and philosophy appeal to some1 when the ,gospel in its fulness might offend2 the meat of the word being too strong for them4 ,the plain blunt message of the man of ,god1 who comes proclaiming1 ,thus saith the ,lord1 antagonizes many4 ,they turn from it2 but will listen to the philosopher1 with his clear1 delightful reasoning1 or to the poet1 with his apt and appealing illustrations4 ,all kinds of teachers go before the prophet1 preparing his way1 or come after him1 confirming his testimony4 ,and the sum of it all will be the betterment and eventual salvation of the race4 ,the ,power of ,music--,seeing for ,one's ,self4 ,music softens the heart1 and helps men and women to receive the ,gospel4 ,tourists come in a constant stream1 to listen to the wonderful tones of the great organ and the singing of the splendid choir in the ,salt lake ,tabernacle4 ,the ,gospel is not always preached to them2 they do not always want the ,gospel2 but they are mellowed by the music1 and they go away with kinder feelings toward1 and a better understanding of1 the people who build such instruments1 who organize such choirs1 and rear such structures4 ,their works speak for them4 ,grapes are not gathered from thorns1 nor figs from thistles4 ,depraved wretches1 such as the ,mormons are falsely represented to be1 do not love music1 poetry and philosophy1 do not cultivate the arts and sciences1 do not turn deserts into gardens1 nor rear ,tabernacles and ,temples unto ,god4 ,i well remember when ,president ,grant came to ,utah--the first ,president of the ,united ,states to set foot within the ,territory1 now a ,state4 ,it was at a time when1 all over this broad land1 the bitterest prejudice prevailed against the ,latter-day ,saints2 and it was freely asserted that the man who had finished with the ,south1 would make short work of ,utah and the ,mormons4 ,among the places visited by the ,president and his party while in ,salt ,lake ,city1 was the ,tabernacle1 where they heard the great organ4 ,i do not know what he thought of it1 but ,mrs4 ,grant1 her face streaming with tears1 turned to ,captain ,hooper1 who had been ,utah's delegate in ,congress1 and said with deep feeling3 ,i wish ,i could do something for these good ,mormon people4 ,the music had touched her heart1 and perhaps the heart of her noble husband2 for ,general ,grant was noble1 though yielding at times to strong prejudice4 ,before reaching the ,tabernacle1 he had passed up ,south ,temple ,street1 lined on both sides with ,sunday ,school children1 neatly and tastefully attired1 waving banners and mottoes of welcome to the ,nation's ,chief4 ,riding in an open carriage1 and running the gauntlet of applause and cheers1 the honored guest turned to ,governor ,emery1 who sat at his side1 and inquired concerning the juvenile host3 ,what children are these8 ,mormon children1 replied ,emery4 ,grant was silent for a moment1 and then was heard to murmur1 ,i have been deceived4 ,but he never was deceived again--not in the same way4 ,he could trust his eyes when he looked upon those beautiful children3 they were not the product of crime and depravity1 not the offspring of savages and criminals4 ,he could trust his ears1 too1 when he heard that choir and organ4 ,no one could make him believe1 after that1 that the ,mormons were as black as they had been painted4 ,no ,substitute for the ,gospel4 ,there is more than one way to reach the human heart1 and ,god has legitimate use for everything good1 wise1 virtuous and praiseworthy4 ,let it not be supposed1 however1 that music1 poetry1 painting1 sculpture1 philosophy1 science1 or anything else1 can take the place of the ,divine ,plan whereby ,he proposes to save this world1 as ,he has saved millions of worlds like it4 ,he will use everything good and true and beautiful to melt the hearts of his children and prepare them for salvation2 but salvation itself comes only by one route--the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,this is the ,great ,ideal1 and it must be honored as such4 ,in dealing with it1 no ,procrustean process is permissible4 ,it must not be chopped off because men think it too long1 nor stretched out because they deem it too short4 ,god did not send his ,truth into the world to be mutilated4 ,men's theories1 however plausible1 cannot supersede divine revelation4 ,the gifts of ,god1 however precious1 are no standard by which to judge the ,giver4 ,the ,truth as ,heaven reveals it is the ,standard1 and the opinions and theories of men must give way4 ,there is no substitute for the ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ4 ,propositions to be ,reconciled4 ,referring now to a passage previously quoted1 concerning the days of ,adam1 when a decree went forth that the ,gospel should be in the world until the end thereof4 ,i was once asked to reconcile that passage with the idea of a new dispensation1 the question coming in this form3 ,if the ,gospel was to be in the world from the days of ,adam 'until the end'1 what was the need of restoring it--bringing it back again8 ,there are two ways of reconciling these propositions4 ,they do not really contradict each other4 ,the ,gospel has been in the world from the beginning by a series of dispensations1 reaching through the entire range of human history4 ,our finite minds are prone to tangle themselves up in little details that cause endless quibbles and often give us a great deal of trouble2 but ,god sweeps the whole universe with his infinite gaze1 and what seem mountains to men are less than molehills in his sight4 ,the gaps between the ,gospel dispensations are not so wide to ,deity as they are to us4 ,the ,lord has found it necessary at different times to temporarily withdraw the ,gospel and the ,priesthood from the midst of men2 and yet1 by repeated restorations1 forming a continuous chain of dispensations1 he has kept them in the world from the beginning down to the present1 thus making good his ancient decree4 ,a ,twofold ,creation4 ,but there is more to this argument4 ,god's works are two-fold1 firstly spiritual1 secondly temporal2 and the most important part of creation is the spiritual part4 ,man and woman were made first as spirits1 and the same is true of earth and all that it contains--beasts1 birds1 fishes1 trees1 plants and flowers2 in short1 all created things4 7,moses #c3d-i47 ,given bodies1 they become souls--not all human souls1 but souls nevertheless2 for the spirit and the body constitute the soul4 ,it is the soul that is redeemed and glorified4 ,the spirit alone cannot advance that far2 it can live without the body1 but the body without the spirit is dead4 ,evidently1 therefore1 the spirit is the more important4 ,what wonder8 ,god created the spirit2 but when it came to creating the body--bodies in general--,he delegated to man that portion of ,his work4 ,man can make the body of man1 and can destroy it1 but cannot destroy the spirit2 it is beyond his power4 ,now the planet upon which we dwell has a spirit4 ,hence there is a ,spirit ,world2 and there the ,gospel has been preached for ages1 so that the dead1 or the departed--for they are no more dead than we are--might have opportunity to embrace it and be judged according to men in the flesh4 7#a ,peter #d3f47 ,and the withdrawal of the ,gospel from the temporal world would not necessarily involve its withdrawal from the spiritual world4 ,thus the divine decree1 that the ,gospel should be in the world until the end thereof1 receives additional vindication4 ,god's word cannot fail4 ,the ,world of ,spirits4 ,the ,spirit ,world1 says ,parley ,p4 ,pratt1 is not the heaven where ,jesus ,christ1 ,his ,father1 and other beings dwell1 who have1 by resurrection or translation1 ascended to eternal mansions and been crowned and seated on thrones of power2 but it is an intermediate state1 a probation1 a place of preparation1 improvement1 instruction1 or education1 where spirits are chastened or improved1 and where1 if found worthy1 they may be taught a knowledge of the ,gospel4 ,in short1 it is a place where the ,gospel is preached1 and where faith1 repentance1 hope and charity may be exercised1 a place of waiting for the resurrection or redemption of the body2 while1 to those who deserve it1 it is a place of punishment1 or purgatory or hell1 where spirits are buffeted till the day of redemption4 ,as to its location1 it is here on the very planet where we were born 7,key to ,theology1 ,chapter #ad4 ,compare ,alma #dj3aa-ad74 ,joseph ,smith tells us that our departed friends are very near to us4 ,we need not sail off into space to be in the spirit world4 ,we have only to pass out of the body2 for the spirit world is right around us4 ,parley continues3 ,the earth and other planets of a like order have their inward or spirit spheres1 as well as their outward or temporal4 ,the one is peopled by temporal tabernacles1 and the other by spirits4 ,in this spirit world there are all the varieties and grades of intellectual beings which exist in the present world4 ,for instance1 ,jesus ,christ and the thief on the cross both went to the same place1 and found themselves associated in the spirit world4 ,jesus1 it will be borne in mind1 had been crucified between two thieves1 one of whom derided him1 insulting his dying agonies4 ,the other1 being penitent1 prayed3 ,lord1 remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom4 ,to him the ,savior said3 ,to-day thou shalt be with me in ,paradise4 ,because of this utterance1 well meaning though uninspired minds have jumped to the conclusion that the penitent thief was promised immediate heavenly exaltation1 for repenting at the last moment and professing faith in the ,redeemer4 ,and this notion is still entertained4 ,the criminal who has forfeited his life and is under sentence of death because unfit to dwell among his fallen fellow creatures1 is made to believe that by confessing ,christ even upon the scaffold1 he is fitted at once for the society of ,gods and ,angels1 and will be wafted to eternal bliss4 ,jesus never taught such a doctrine1 nor did any authorized servant of ,god4 ,it is a man-made theory1 based upon faulty inference and misinterpretation4 ,the ,bible plainly teaches that men will be judged according to their works4 7,rev4 #bj3ab-ac47 ,it was best for the thief1 of course1 to repent even at the eleventh hour2 but he could not be exalted until prepared for it1 if it took a thousand years4 ,jesus ,christ and the thief both went to the world of spirits1 a place of rest for the righteous1 a place of correction for the wicked4 ,parley goes on to say3 ,but the ,one was there in all the intelligence1 happiness1 benevolence and charity which characterized a teacher1 a messenger anointed to preach glad tidings to the meek1 to bind up the broken-hearted1 to comfort those who mourned1 to preach deliverance to the captive1 and open the prison to those who were bound2 or1 in other words1 to preach the ,gospel to the spirits in prison1 that they might be judged according to men in the flesh2 while the other was there as a thief1 who had expired on the cross for crime1 and who was guilty1 ignorant1 uncultivated1 and unprepared for resurrection1 having need of remission of sins and to be instructed in the science of salvation4 ,in the world of spirits there are ,apostles1 ,prophets1 ,elders1 and members of the ,church of the ,saints1 holding keys of priesthood1 and power to teach1 comfort1 instruct and proclaim the ,gospel to their fellow spirits1 after the pattern of ,jesus ,christ4 ,in the same world there are also the spirits of ,catholics1 and ,protestants of every sect1 who have all need to be taught and to come to the knowledge of the true unchangeable gospel in its fulness and simplicity1 that they may be judged the same as if they had been privileged with the same in the flesh4 ,there is also the ,jew1 the ,mahometan1 the infidel1 who did not believe in ,christ while in the flesh4 ,all these must be taught1 must come to the knowledge of the crucified and risen ,redeemer1 and hear the glad tidings of the ,gospel4 ,there are also all the varieties of the heathen spirits2 the noble and refined philosopher1 poet1 patriot1 or statesman of ,rome or ,greece1 the enlightened ,socrates and ,plato1 and their like1 together with every grade of spirits1 down to the most uncultivated of the savage world4 ,all these must be taught1 enlightened1 and must bow the knee to the eternal ,king1 for the decree hath gone forth1 that unto ,him every knee shall bow and every tongue confess4 ,oh1 what a field of labor1 of benevolence1 of missionary enterprise now opens to the apostles and elders of the ,church of the ,saints6 ,as this field opens they will begin to realize more fully the extent of their divine mission1 and the meaning of the great command to 'preach the gospel to every creature'4 ,parley ,p4 ,pratt1 a modern ,apostle1 was a friend and follower of ,joseph ,smith4 ,he sat at the feet of ,joseph1 as ,paul at the feet of ,gamaliel4 ,these are ,joseph's doctrines1 the doctrines of ,mormonism1 which stands for the ,gospel in all the ages1 and for the salvation of the living and the dead4 ,god will judge no man for an opportunity that he never possessed4 ,faith and repentance are just as possible and just as effectual in the spirit world as they are in this sphere4 ,but the ordinance of baptism--immersion in water for the remission of sins1 and the laying on of hands for the gift of the ,holy ,ghost--with other sacred ceremonies1 must be done here1 in places dedicated for the purpose4 ,this vicarious work is absolutely essential1 in order that the departed may be duly admitted into the ,church of ,christ and share in all its blessings4 ,the ,hell of ,dante4 ,in the ,thirteenth ,century a great ,italian poet1 the immortal ,dante1 produced a wonderful work1 ,la ,divina ,comedia 7,the ,divine ,comedy74 ,in one part of the poem1 the author represents himself as passing through ,hades or ,hell4 ,in the first circle of the infernal depths--a region called ,limbo1 which a footnote in my copy of the poem describes as a place containing the souls of unbaptized children and of those virtuous men and women who lived before the birth of our ,savior--he meets some of the noble characters whom the ,apostle ,parley mentions as inhabiting the ,spirit ,world1 and the guide says to him3 --,inquirest thou not what spirits ,are these1 which thou beholdest8 ,ere thou pass ,farther1 ,i would thou know1 that these of sin ,were blameless2 and if aught they merited1 ,it profits not1 since baptism was not theirs1 ,the portal to thy faith4 ,if they before ,the ,gospel lived1 they served not ,god aright2 ,and among such am ,i4 ,for these defects ,and for no other evil1 we are lost2 ,only so far afflicted1 that we live ,desiring without hope4--,hell1 ,canto ,,iv1 ,lines #bi-ci4 ,and this was all that ,thirteenth ,century theology could say for such men as ,homer1 ,virgil1 ,plato1 ,aristotle and others1 the best and brightest spirits of their times6 ,according to ,their ,works4 ,was it not imperative that the ,heavens should again open and ,god's ,word go forth once more upon its mission of justice and mercy8 ,the ,gospel of ,christ is consistent and reasonable4 ,it does not pre-judge men1 nor save nor damn them regardless of merit or demerit4 ,rewarding all according to their works1 it gives to every creature1 living or dead1 a chance to accept or reject it1 before final judgment4 ,is it not evident that ,joseph ,smith and ,mormonism were indeed a necessity at the dawn of the ,nineteenth ,century1 when even the ,christian world had lost the knowledge of the true ,god1 proclaiming him either a nonentity incapable of act or utterance1 or a monster unmerciful and unjust8 ,sons of ,perdition4 ,god is not trying to damn the world1 but to save it4 ,all will be saved except the sons of perdition1 those who have had every opportunity to be saved--yes1 saved and exalted4 ,they who have known ,god1 and have tasted of the powers of the world to come1 and then have thrown it all away1 trampling upon the ,truth as a thing of naught1 denying the ,holy ,ghost1 and crucifying the ,lord afresh2--these cannot be saved1 for salvation is predicated upon repentance1 and such have sinned away the power to repent4 ,this is what makes their case hopeless4 ,but comparatively few go that far4 ,all the rest will be saved1 and eventually glorified4 ,different ,degrees of ,glory4 ,there are different degrees of glory--a glory of the sun1 a glory of the moon1 and a glory of the stars4 ,so ,paul taught 7#a ,cor4 #ae3dj-db72 and ,joseph ,smith taught it even more plainly4 7,doc4 ,cov4 #gf47 ,they who inherit celestial glory1 of which the sun in the firmament is typical1 are they who receive the ,gospel in this life1 and are valiant for it and endure to the end1 giving to ,god the fulness of their obedience4 ,they who inherit terrestrial glory1 which differs from the celestial as the moon differs from the sun1 are they who receive not the ,gospel here1 but afterwards receive it2 souls not valiant1 and who therefore win not the crown4 ,the inheritors of telestial glory1 typified by the stars1 are they who are thrust down to hell1 where they pay their debt to ,justice1 after which ,mercy claims its own1 and they are ushered into a light and freedom greater than the finite mind can comprehend4 ,such is ,mormonism's astounding declaration--the only religion on earth that dares to say ,,the ,,damned ,,can ,,be ,,saved6 ,yes1 anyone can be saved who will repent1 even in the depths of hell4 ,but why go there to repent8 ,why not make ,peace with ,heaven here8 ,a ,nautical ,illustration4 ,i was crossing the ,atlantic on an ocean liner4 ,i was a first cabin passenger2 and besides myself there were upwards of a hundred others in that part of the vessel4 ,the second cabin had about twice as many passengers1 and in the steerage were several hundred more4 ,the first cabin berths were not only the best furnished1 but the most favorably situated for comfort1 convenience1 and safety4 ,every courtesy was shown to the passengers2 the captain and other officers were their associates2 their food was of the choicest1 and they had the full freedom of the ship4 ,they might go down into the second cabin1 or lower down1 into the steerage1 and return1 without hindrance or question4 ,they had paid for these privileges and were therefore entitled to them4 ,but it was different in the second cabin4 ,there the food was not so good1 the berths were less comfortable1 and the privileges fewer4 ,passengers might descend into the steerage1 but were not permitted upon the upper deck4 ,in the steerage1 conditions were even less favorable4 ,the food was still poorer1 and the restrictions were more rigid4 ,the occupants of that section were not allowed even in the second cabin4 ,having paid only for steerage accommodations1 these were all that they could consistently claim4 ,viewing the situation1 ,i said to myself3 ,what a striking analogy to the final destiny of the human race1 as set forth in the revelations of ,god6 ,all men rewarded according to their works--saved according to their merits1 in the eternal mansions of the ,father6 ,and ,i resolved anew that ,i would be a first cabin passenger over the ocean of life into the haven of ,celestial glory4 ,mormonism's ,magnanimity4 ,joseph the ,seer1 after gazing upon the glories of eternity1 outlining the ultimate destiny of the human race1 had another vision in which he beheld that all children who die before they arrive at the years of accountability1 are saved in the ,celestial ,kingdom4 ,he also saw his father1 his mother1 and his brother ,alvin in that ,kingdom4 ,his parents had received the ,gospel2 but ,alvin died before it came4 ,he was a good man1 however1 and had faith in what the ,prophet told him4 ,he simply had not been baptized4 ,nevertheless1 ,joseph beheld him in celestial glory1 the highest glory of all1 and it caused him to marvel4 ,then fell this word from ,heaven3 ,all who have died without a knowledge of this ,gospel1 who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry1 shall be heirs of the ,celestial ,kingdom of ,god2 also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it1 who would have received it with all their hearts1 shall be heirs of that ,kingdom1 for ,i1 the ,lord1 will judge all men according to their works1 according to the desire of their hearts4 7,joseph ,smith's ,teachings1 p4 #ai2 ,church ,history1 ,vol4 #b1 pp4 #chj-cah74 ,could justice1 mercy1 magnanimity1 go further8 ,and yet there are people who imagine ,mormonism to be something small1 narrow and illiberal4 ,by the contrary1 it is broad1 generous and charitable1 as all its teachings testify4 ,the ,source of ,its ,strength4 ,mormonism's strength is not in the number of its adherents1 who are comparatively few2 nor in the sagacity of its leading men1 who are only mortals4 ,rather does it reside in the fact that every worthy man and woman connected with it is entitled to and receives a personal1 direct testimony of its truth4 ,the ,church of ,christ is founded upon this rock--the ,rock of ,revelation--against which the waves of sophistry1 the billows of bigotry1 the breakers of persecution1 beat and dash in vain4 ,all who fight the truth are fordoomed to defeat4 ,the ,gates of ,hell cannot prevail against it4 ,mormonism is strong because ,god is its ,author--the ,engineer directing its course2 and all the might of ,omnipotence is behind it1 impelling it on to its destiny4 ,it is the ,everlasting ,gospel1 the saving1 glorifying power of ,god1 the power by which ,he carries on ,his mighty and marvelous work1 bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man4 ,published by the ,missions of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of ,latter-day ,saints in the ,united ,states ,,bureau ,,of ,,information--,temple ,block1 ,salt ,lake ,city1 ,utah4 ,,california ,,mission--#aec ,w4 ,adams ,st41 ,los ,angeles1 ,calif4 ,,canadian ,,mission--#cf ,ferndale ,avenue1 ,toronto1 ,ontario1 ,canada4 ,,central ,,states ,,mission--#cjb ,s4 ,pleasant ,st41 ,independence1 ,mo4 ,,eastern ,,states ,,mission--#bgc ,gates ,ave41 ,brooklyn1 ,n4 ,y4 ,,hawaiian ,,mission--,p4 ,o4 ,box #cbbh1 ,honolulu1 ,hawaii4 ,,mexican ,,mission--#ceca ,fort ,blvd41 ,el ,paso1 ,texas1 ,u4 ,s4 ,a4 ,,northern ,,states ,,mission--#beee ,n4 ,sawyer ,ave41 ,chicago4 #aaa4 ,,northwestern ,,states ,,mission--#haj ,e4 ,madison1 ,portland1 ,ore4 ,,southern ,,states ,,mission--#cga ,e4 ,north ,ave41 ,atlanta1 ,ga4 ,,western ,,states ,,mission--#ech ,east #gth ,ave41 ,denver1 ,colo4